The Rise of Nine
by Maren6Elizabeth
Summary: Six and John finally reunite after the war, bearing both good and bad news. Crayton warns them that this is only the beginning. Face the suspense, the sacrifices, the love and the ultimate power of Six, the Garde that will make a choice: save or destroy. My first fanfic ever and I would appreciate it if you Read and Review. Thanks!
1. Chapter 1: Six

**Chapter One**

**Six**

I sit on a chair beside the window with the curtains drawn. A small crack lets me peer through it, but for the past two weeks I look at the emptiness of the space outside. We're in this shabby motel room with two beds and a couch. Marina and Ella take up one bed while I insisted Crayton to take the other bed, given his size and also because I can't stop the nightmares from entering my mind when I close my eyes. The TV in front of the couch is turned on, though no one ever watches. Marina is watching Ella sketch on the legal-sized notepad that Crayton gave her about a week ago. I concentrate my telekinetic energy on the TV and shut it off. Marina doesn't look up when the voice of the female reporter from the TV faded. Ella looks up swiftly, then scribbles some more on her notebook. Ella never lets anyone see her pictures except for Marina, who claims she has painted John's and my face in a cave wall back in Spain. The thought of the Mogadorian HQ comes to my mind, with John and Sam contained, gagged, shackled to the wall in the same room where they killed Katarina, with all those razor sharp blades. Those images flutter behind my eyelids, awake or asleep. A gentle finger prods my shoulder, awakening me in my stupor. I turn around and see Ella holding a black and white picture drawn by her smudged hands. I mutter thanks and she walks away, putting the pencil back in her hand.

I look at the drawing she gave me, which was a portrait of me in black and white, staring blankly at the window with my legs crossed, extended before me. My hair looks tousled. I never really cared much about since the war, letting it fall flat on my face whenever I felt like it. I put loose strands of hair behind my ear, sighing deeply. I stand up for the first time in three hours, my joints creaking and popping. With Ella's picture still in my hand, I walk to the closet and find my backpack, which contained three quarters of the clothes I own, my knife vest and now, Ella's drawing. I zip the bag shut and turn around, only to find myself faced by Marina and Ella in her eleven-year-old self. They haul me to the bed, where a set of rubber bands and a comb awaits. I mutter in protest but they heard it with deaf ears. I slump on the floor and feel Ella's little fingers weave in and out of my hair, which is impossible even for me to comb. Marina hands her rubber bands to secure the creases she's made with my hair. After about twenty minutes, I hear the last piece of rubber band snap. "There, you look prettier," says Ella, pushing me to the mirror with her own strength. My hair is in an elaborate single braid that runs down to the middle of my back. My electric blue irises are encased in a purple circle due to sleepless nights. My face no longer contained the smile John adored, but was replaced by a face with a mixture of sadness and a little hope. My shoulders are slightly falling forward. I thank them then I return to my position at my chair. Crayton has gone out to buy a car. Its mid-afternoon and a sliver of sunlight as wide as my pinkie enter the crack between the curtains. That's the hope I have left, and little by little the light begins to fade away.

Marina and Ella try unsuccessfully to coax me into talking, but my heart wasn't in it. So instead I reply halfheartedly to them, asking every question they bombard me. Little by little we began a conversation. Then they start to ask me questions that I most wanted to avoid like how I got out of that wretched cave four years ago, how I found John, what I like about Sam, what it felt like when I kissed John before heading for Spain. At some points they change the subject when their questions were ended with silence. They tell me that they feel free to talk whenever Crayton's not around, who Ella describes as "a strict father".

I end up on my chair again, waiting for John and Sam to appear on the doormat. I was unaware that I fell asleep with my head on the windowsill, my forehead leaning on the curtain. Dreams erupt here and there; the walk with John, Sam embracing me in the freight train, the way John's lips are pressed against mine, but they are replaced by Katarina, chained to the wall hanging limply, with the light drained from her eyes, blood oozing from the wound on her chest. Beside her, also shackled to the wall, are John and Sam. I try desperately to reach them, but my body won't respond. John is still awake and holding on, while Sam has a gunshot on his forehead, blood trickling down his face. John stirs, writhing and grunting, the wall behind him bloody, suggesting he was whipped. He looks at me, his blue eyes growing darker. He whispers, "Six," very faintly. I move my mouth, but no words come out. "Six," he says and looks contentedly at my face, savoring every little detail he might find in it. Suddenly whatever strength remains in John fades. His eyes slowly close, and when they do, I wake up from screaming for the fifth time in a row today. Marina has a firm grip on both of my shoulders. While thrashing around I somehow remain on my chair. I look outside. It's dark. Ella is behind Crayton, whose eyes are filled with concern. I break down into tears, clutching my face in my hands. Ella tentatively hugs me, rubbing a portion of tenseness on my back. I cross some line into hysteria, desperately needing the night air. I thrash around, throwing Ella and Marina into shock. I pound the door with my strength until cracks appear. A needle is jammed in my arm, a sedative. I face Crayton as he pushes the plunger down. I instantly feel drowsy. With her telekinesis, Marina prevents me from falling face-first on the floor. She floats me to my couch, where I lose consciousness.

* * *

I wake up in the middle of the night, Marina at the dining table with a laptop in front of her. In her hand is a mug of coffee, but her eyes say that she's yearning for sleep. I sit up slowly, massaging the part where Crayton injected the sedative. "How long was I out?" I ask, standing up and making my way to Marina. She takes a sip from her coffee and says, "Five hours. You didn't thrash around, thank God, but you kept mumbling 'John' in your sleep."

Ella is asleep on one bed with her leg sticking out the blanket. Crayton is asleep on his side, and by the way he sleeps, he looks ten years younger. I spread the blanket over Ella's exposed leg, and she stirs, rolling on her side like Crayton. "You go to sleep. You deserve it. I'll wake you up if something happens," I say, half-guiding, half-carrying Marina to her bed, her arm draped over my shoulders. She must've been sleepier than I thought. Just as she was lying down, she drifts off without pulling the blanket up. I do it for her, and she mumbles thanks in her sleep. I smile in the dark and turn off her laptop. As usual, she was searching for news, just like Crayton. I walk to the bedside drawer and extinguish the light of the lampshade. Now, our only light source is the slice of moonlight across the floor from the curtain. I reposition myself on my chair, wrapping an extra blanket around me. I take sips from Marina's unfinished coffee. From where I sit, I see portion of the parking lot, and half of the full moon. I risk opening the crack even wider just to see Lorien, a little, pale blue star here in the Earth's night sky. "John, where are you?" I whisper, resulting in making gusts of wind in our direction, hoping that they know it is me. Somehow, my feelings for John become stronger than that of Sam. Well, yeah sure he's Loric and plus, he's the son of my parents' best friends. But he also makes me feel normal and special at the same time. With Sam, it's different. It's like having a little brother who's a nerd and was obsessed with aliens. I wonder if this is what love does to you. Well, I'm not sure because I've never been in love before. John has, and I wonder if this is how they both felt when they were together, Sarah and John. I also feel guilt and confusion that runs back around to guilt over and over again. Guilt because I feel like John's cheating on Sarah because of me, not like there's anything going on between them since Ohio. Confusion because I don't know who to choose; Sam. John. Sam John. Their faces pop here and there, Sam wearing hatred and John smiling with joy then vice versa. Over and over again. I try to run my fingers through my hair, but finally notice that I'm still wearing Ella's braid. I undo it and give my hair a casual flick. I continue looking out the window, the little ray of hope I have left slowly fading into blackness.

Tears fill my eyes, but I let none of them escape. Not again. I might end up setting this room on fire. I desperately need some air. I think about going outside, wanting the cool night air to bring the familiar goose bumps on my skin like the night in California, the night John and I almost kissed. My chest weighs a ton. I'm not just gasping for air; I'm in need of attention. It's about time I had one of those girl talks Katarina and I used to have, at home, on a walk, during training, on the way to someplace else. But who am I going to tell? Certainly not Crayton. And I can't keep secrets from Ella. That leaves Marina. She's been in love with a boy who died trying to save her. Surely she can help me, right? But I'll have to wait until morning, when Crayton ventures out once more to find a car. I let my mind wander while absentmindedly staring at the doormat, waiting as if John and/or Sam will appear on it out of thin air. I will the wind to bend its way here; thereby making the trees that surrounds the motel bow. Sam, who's some sort of logic genius, can figure out that the wind is sending them here, safe with me. My fingers trace my lips, rendering the warmth of John's lips, his blond hair, his fluttering eyelashes that were so blond you'd have to be so close just to see them and his smile, a sly crooked smile that shows his dazzling white teeth. I let the picture of him flash behind my eyelids, and drift off to an uneasy sleep.

I wake up two hours after being petrified with terror of my latest dream, seeing John bleeding beside me. My face is glued to the window. I flinch when I see a woman staring at me with bloodshot eyes, but relax when I realize it's my reflection. I was sweating and was short of breath, but it didn't wake any of the others. I recompose myself and breathe through the nose, counting six seconds before I exhale. It calms me down a little, but what I really need is to go outside. Slowly, and very gently, I unlock the door with telekinesis. While being invisible, I slip outside. I close the door quietly behind me and take my first breath of fresh oxygen. The cold air bites my exposed skin, but I didn't care. In fact I loved it. Soon my teeth were chattering, and every time I exhale, a puff of smoke erupts from my mouth. I close my eyes and let my mind replay the best night of my life, the night we walked the streets of a town near Lake George. John's hand was locked with mine, his thumb resting over mine. I remember how our upper lips brushed mine before the explosion. A creek of a door sends a jolt through my body. I realize it's our neighbor, a man with curly hair and a goatee. He has a cigarette in his hand, and my nose picks up a strong smell of smoke and tobacco. I wait for the man to return to his room. He doesn't and he just keeps smoking, burning my eyes and making me want to cough. Now what?

With the wind responding to me, I extinguish the flame, hoping that he left his lighter in his room. He throws the cigarette away, scowling and walks back in his compartment, cursing about the wind. I cough softly then retreat back to our room. With a last breath of air, I close and bolt the door. I sit on my chair, watching Ella move in the dark. She murmurs something I don't quite catch. Then silence. I wrap my blanket more tightly around me, and then I stand up, shut the curtains close and sleep on my couch.

* * *

When I wake up in the morning, Crayton has gone. He left us some food on the table which contained two high-powered computers. Ella hands me a Styrofoam box and when I open it, the smell of fried chicken fills my nostrils. I eat my food one spoonful at a tie, until finally I finish the entire chicken. I look at the mirror hanging on the wall, and see that a girl with dark circles under her eyes is staring back. I slowly trace the light purple circles under my eyes and sigh. Marina takes notice of this. She stands up and places her fingers under my eyes. Iciness floods from her fingers through my entire body, and once Marina's satisfied, she hefts me up from my couch and brings me to the mirror. The purple circles under my eyes are completely gone. I'm almost myself now, but there's still sadness and longing in my eyes that looks out of place in my otherwise bright face. "Thanks," I say. Marina nods then sits on the bed, watching Ella sketch another picture. I take a bath and dry my hair, and now that Crayton's not here, I can talk to Marina and Ella freely. With my hair dry, a smile plays around Ella's lips. I sit on the floor and let her braid my hair again. "Marina? What's it like, you know, being in love?" I ask. Marina hands Ella a piece of rubber band before answering. "It's a strange and complicated thing. I guess it's different for everyone. For me, you can love someone as drunk as Héctor as long as he has heart. He was never angry. He was always a person to bring smiles to your face. I guess love makes me feel normal and human. Just me."

"What if you fell in love with two people at the same time?" I ask. To my surprise, it's Ella who answers. "I think you should choose who you think you can't survive without," she says, locking my braid in place by the rubber band. Who can't I survive without? Right now, I can't live without both of them. I'm confused. I yearn for Katarina, which I haven't done in years. I exhale and let more wind blowing this way. I think I'm confusing my feelings for both of them. I like Sam, but not as much as I like John. After hours of thinking on the floor I retreat to my chair, opening the crack in the curtains. "Ella," I say, and her head snaps up in anticipation. "How many times have I had a nightmare about John?"

"All the time," she says. She stands and hands me another picture, the one when I stood in front of the mirror before Marina washed my eye bags away. "What about Sam?" I ask. The confusion in my head is finally clear. Ella says, "Not that I know of. Marina?" Marina shakes her head. Finally, the feelings for John and Sam inside me arrange themselves. Sam falls under "friend". John falls under "lover". For the first time in two and a half weeks, I smile. And with Sarah gone, though I'm not sure they're over, my path to John is clear. He's mine. I am his. No one stands in my way.

It's nearly six in the afternoon when Crayton comes back with the second batch of food. He says he's found a nice pickup truck. Crayton sits on the chair in front of the dining table, his laptops turned on. The light of the screens reflect on the pair of glasses he uses whenever he uses the computers. Ella, Marina and I eat silently on their bed. "I think it's time we go. We have to find the Chimæras in time for the war. Setrákus Ra won't even know what hit him," Crayton says without looking up. I choke and cough, sending bits of food in every direction. Marina picks them up with telekinesis and throws them in the trash bin. I swallow hard, solid bits of food like needles pushed down my throat. "No. We stay here and wait for John and Sam," I say. Crayton shakes his head, his mustache twitching. "We have to leave immediately. If we want an element of surprise in this war, we leave now."

"No!" I yell, standing up and balling my fists, my knuckles white and my nails biting in my palm. "It took me three years to find John! And just in a nick of time too! If we separate we could lose them! It'll take us ten times longer to find them again! And you expect to find the Chimæras while we lose another Garde!" I try to calm myself down for Ella's sake, because if I lose it, I might burn Crayton to ashes. Crayton considers what I said. Ella holds my fist in her little hand, which was far littler than I thought. I glance at Ella in her younger age, her eyes wide with a pleading look. I exhale, learning that I have held my breath for so long. I notice that Marina's sucking on her chicken leg bone. I dump my half finished leg on her box and say, "I'm not very hungry." She accepts the leg and starts eating. Crayton sighs and accepts defeat. I take my place on my chair and announce that I will take first watch, the edge in voice from the argument minutes ago evident. Crayton shuts both laptops and whispers good night to all of us before extinguishing the lights. I watch the parking lot, and see the pickup truck Crayton was telling us about. Headlights enter the entrance of the parking lot, and as far as I can tell, it's a black SUV. In fact, if I squinted, it looks like the black SUV we own. I stop breathing. On the dashboard, past the dark tinted glass where only my eyes can see, sits pair of black glasses with thick lenses.

**So, What do you think? Review please!**


	2. Chapter 2: Six

**Chapter Two**

**Six**

Are they here? Could it be possible? They survived, I think, that's what's important. I keep my fist in my mouth to avoid screaming. They're here! After all those nightmares, the light breaks through. My heart explodes as new hope is born. I wait for them to exit the car before I wake any of the others. But what happens next was not what I expect. Instead of Sam emerging behind the driver's side door where I seen him last, is a man, though I'm sure is still young enough to be called a boy. But by the way he clears six feet; I guess the word "man" is more appropriate. He's wearing a tight black shirt and camouflaged pants that are tucked away in combat boots. On his right ankle, the pants leg is ripped five inches. My stomach drops. A Mogadorian? They didn't make it after all. Tears fill my eyes as I try to steady myself. My breathing rattles along with my body. I force my legs to move, to wake Crayton and the others, but I find myself transfixed on a dark shadow on the passenger seat. The man I suspect as a Mogadorian scans the scene, and a few feet before his eyes find mine, I turn invisible. I step away from the curtains. I turn visible and wake up Crayton. Thankfully, Crayton's one to wake up silently. I mouth the word "Mogs". He nods and gets up silently, waking Ella and Marina. Crayton whispers something in Marina's ear, and minutes later she nods. With her hand wrapped tightly around Ella's they scoot off the bed and hide under it. I open my bag and remove a knife six inches long, with the blade dipped in Loricyde. Crayton wears a leather vest with two pockets, in which he slips two guns into it. He wears a coat then waits. I nod to Crayton in the dark and, while invisible, I look out the window. The man is staring right at me, as if he can see me. I tap three times on the window and Crayton unlocks the door and walks out, as casually as he can. He drops his keys on purpose and signals for me to slip out. And when he closes the door he locks it. He whistles while walking, his hands in his pockets. The Mog follows Crayton with his eyes. The bitter wind bites into my skin. I try my best to keep my teeth from chattering. I will the wind to cut a swath for me, and eventually it does. Crayton walks down the steps, rubbing his hands. Crayton walks slowly, and even in the cold night air, he sweats.

I can't help it. The adrenaline in veins causes me to jump off the railing, leaving Crayton on the stairs while landing cat-like on the asphalt. The Mogadorian watches Crayton closely, and I notice that Crayton's truck is two spaces before the SUV. I walk as quietly as I can, the Mog watching Crayton intently. The dark shadow in the passenger seat stirs. The Mog doesn't mind it. Crayton's near the truck now, his car keys clinking in his pocket. Upon closer inspection, concealed in the rip of his pants, the man in the tight shirt has a circular scar embedded in his skin that looks exactly like—

Crayton has his guns aimed at the man when I yell, "Stop!" I materialize, and the man in the tight shirt is startled, but got over his surprise quickly. His hands are aimed at Crayton, while Crayton has his fingers hovering a millimeter above the triggers. "Who are you?" asks the man, his voice has a pinch of arrogance and grittiness. His eyes shift between me and Crayton and back again. I take cautious steps towards the man. "I am Number Six," I say, now between Crayton and the man. The man lowers his hands, and his forearms reveal veins crisscrossing here and there. Crayton holds his ground, but he's relaxed. "I'm Nine," says the man, stepping over the passenger's window, blocking it from my view.

"The SUV, where did you get it?" I ask, hearing my own voice strange in my ears. I feel the power in my body growing. My vision has blue tint. Someone struggles to open the door Nine is blocking. But that person is clever enough to go around, opening the door Nine just emerged from. A boy with his hood up comes out, but I can just see a tuft of blond hair he did not manage to cover. I hear a familiar pant of a dog. My heart skips a few beats. A lump is formed in my throat. The blue tint in my vision disappears. The boy walks slowly, his head bent. Around the edge of the car, a beagle comes to view, its tongue dangling, his tail waving madly. "It's okay BK," the boy says. The beagle retreats back to the car. My stomach does a flip. I know that voice. The boy stands beside Nine, and looks up. Behind the hood, his blue eyes shine brightly. A sly and crooked grin plays on his lips, showing his dazzling white teeth. My breath is carried away by the wind. I feel my eyes widen. The lump in my throat has moved into my mouth, and I force it back down. "John," I whisper, slowly walking to him. I break into a run and fling my arms around him. He hugs me tightly, one of his hands on the small of my back. Tears cascade down my cheeks and onto his shirt. I breathe in the scent of his hair, his warmth, his closeness. His fingers trace the braid that runs down my back. "Who did this? You look cute," he says with a slight laugh. We break apart but keep his hand. Nine and Crayton are deep in conversation. "Ella did. She's Number Ten. I found her and Number Seven in Spain. She's Marina. Crayton's Ella's Cêpan. Come on you have to meet them," I say, my hand caressing John's face. He holds it there, then cups my face in his hands. "You don't know how much I've missed both of you," I say, but as soon as the words reach his ears, his expression hardens. He pulls away, looking at the ground. "Where's Sam?" I ask. John doesn't answer. I know what's coming, but still I had to ask. "John, look at me," I say, pulling his face up until he meets my eyes. He sighs and whispers, "He didn't make it. He got left behind. The cave was protected by a force field. I couldn't get in. I'm sorry."

Everything happens so fast that I didn't have time to process everything. Mog scouts come out of the lower rooms, armed with cannons, guns and tubes. I let go of John and send a tremor through the earth. The Mogs fall backwards, leaving Nine, Crayton, John and I standing. Nine's eyes widen. I let go of John's hand and set a fire near the clump of bushes. "Fire! There's a fire!" I yell, the other civilians walking out the motel with everything they own. Suddenly my mind has its own master, and I know better than to disobey it. The Mogadorians are disoriented, covering their eyes with their gnarled and ashen hands. "Keep them busy. I have to get to Ella and Marina," I say to John, kissing him before I jump to the second floor, willing the fire to remain at bay. I kick the door open, the locks flying everywhere. "Ella, Marina! Pack up! We have to leave immediately!" I say, putting the laptops back in there bags in hyper speed while they emerge from their hiding place. Marina and Ella move along the same pace with me, throwing clothes in their bags untidily. In two minutes we're bounding down the stairs. I toss Crayton his bag of guns as I go. Ella jumps and goes to Crayton, who hands her a gun and starts firing. Marina squeals at the sight of John, but quickly gets on action, killing two Mogs. I find that I'm minded, but set that thought aside. Nine is down, paralyzed by the tube. I extinguish the flames and hide our things behind a rock. John is protecting Nine, who's still paralyzed. The blue tint comes back, and a rage I have never felt before boils up inside me. I clap my hands in front of me, causing the wind to sweep the Mogadorians off their feet and at the same time, Crayton, Nine, Ella, Marina and John are hefted up in the air by my telekinesis. I gather them in a circle around me, and as the last civilian drives away, I pull every molecule of oxygen towards us with my mind. the Mogs farthest from us disintegrated in seconds. The others took too much time trying to understand the situation. Soon, the oxygen-free air is thick with dust. I send the molecules back, the wind blowing the ashes away. The others are still stunned from what I have done. The faint blue that slightly blurs my vision disappears. I look at the others, their wide eyes on me.

"What?" I ask. John snaps out of it and grabs our bags. Crayton and Marina help Nine to his feet. His eyes open like he broke some sort of trance, and helps John. Ella walks to the pickup truck and climbs in, followed by Marina and Crayton. That's when my knees buckle, and inch by inch I sink to the ground, which was now wiped clean of the ashes by the wind. I hide my face from the others, but the tears slip from my fingers. John's arms wrap around me. I bury my face in his chest, my tears making the front of his shirt wet. The adrenaline I possessed mere minutes ago left my body. My arms felt like lead. John sweeps his arms from under me, carrying me to our SUV. "Do you want me to come with you?" asks Nine. John mutters in disagreement, and nothing is further said. He opens the door with telekinesis and slips me in the passenger seat. Bernie Kosar paws at my feet and settles his head on my foot. John climbs the driver's seat and starts the engine. As he drives the car in reverse, he waits for Crayton's lead. Then he follows. I kiss him on the cheek and pass out on my seat.

* * *

Fingers caress my cheek in the chilly morning air. Bird sing in the trees nearby. I open my eyes and find John propped up on his right elbow, brushing my cheeks with his fingertips. The pale blue morning sky glows behind him. I'm in a sleeping bag with John in it. I rise high enough for my lips to reach his. I pull away and sit, taking in my surroundings. Ella and Marina re still asleep in a sleeping bag next to ours. Two more sleeping bags are laid out, but they're empty. "Where's Nine and Crayton?" I ask, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. "Crayton's camouflaging the cars while Nine's trying to hunt," he replies, wrapping his arm around my waist. I lean my head on his shoulder, holding his hand in both of mine. "Tell me, what sort of Legacies does Seven and Ten have?" he asks, planting a kiss on my forehead. "Marina likes to be called by her name. I doubt Crayton's explained so much to you already. Anyway, Marina breathe underwater, see in the dark and she can heal herself and other people, but it gets her tired. Ella, on the other hand, is just eleven years old. She doesn't have any Legacies yet. But she's an Aeternus, though. What does Nine have?" I ask.

John says, "He's got more advance senses than most of us. He can grant his powers on humans temporarily, he can turn off the gravity around him and he can talk to animals, like me."

"Sounds like Nine is an arrogant person, with powers like that," I say. Nine stomps toward us with a frustrated look on his face, his eyebrows knitting themselves together. In his hands were my knives. "Hey!" I say, standing up, marching my way to Nine, "those are my knives!"

He twists the blade in his hand. They're small, the ones I used for hunting when Katarina died and I had nothing to eat. I snatch them away from him with telekinesis and run to the woods, the wind whipping my face as I ran. I hear footsteps behind me, and I stop. John stops when I do, and I take his hand. "Go back. I'll be there with rabbits, and if we're lucky, a buck," I say, kissing him on the lips. He kisses me back and pulls away. He sighs and says, "Too bad, though. I've always wanted to see you hunt." He winks and speeds off. Get a grip on yourself, I think, John's not totally yours. I breathe through the nose and exhale through my mouth. I walk silently, the dry leaves under my feet crunching. I hear water running further ahead. I race to the water as quietly as I can. There, I see salmon in a ten feet wide river with slow currents. On the other side of the river, I see a beautiful buck drinking from it. Judging by its size, it's just a year old. No antlers sprout from its head. It looks up, but it doesn't see me. With my three-inch knife, I grip the flat of the blade and throw it. By the time the deer looks my way it's too late. The knife found its eye. It falls dead on its side. With telekinesis, I grab twelve salmon. They writhe in the air, but quickly die of suffocation. I bring my kill to me, including the buck with my knife. I float them behind me as I run back to camp.

Nine was surprised when he sees my kill. I smirk at him and order Marina and Ella to cook the fish while John and I skin the buck. I make a fire out of the wood Nine has found. The smell of cooked fish and deer fills the air. The trees around us make great protection from prying eyes, and the canopy above is so thick only slivers of sunlight creep through. The tree barks are covered in thick moss. I grab a handful and wipe the blood from my knife. Knife throwing helped me survived this long. When Katarina died, I had to scavenge what I had in the woods, and sometimes sleep out in the open under the lights of the stars. It also help me fight my way out before my most powerful Legacy developed. In a few minutes the salmon was ready. We take a fish each and eat silently. Something makes a bush shake. Nine jumps up at once, but John reassures him it's just Bernie Kosar. I give the entire buck to Bernie Kosar and he digs in. "I've never been outside the woods. Literally. I just walk the trail I follow every time to my cave, where I painted your faces," Marina says, pointing at John and me. "Ella's a better painter than me, and I think you should see the pictures she's drawn," Marina continues, babbling about the first picture she saw Ella drew. Then she talks about how Ella's been drawing portraits of me. I blush in spite of myself, and so did Ella. "You never show me any of those pictures Ella gave you," John whispers in my ear. He just finished his salmon, licking the bones free of its flesh. "Where's my pack?" I ask, and Ella nods to a tree where ten backpacks hang, more or less. I search through the backpacks and duffels, until finally I found my own. Inside are Ella's pictures, the one when I looked out the window, the one when I stared at my reflection and, to my surprise, a picture of me asleep on the couch, the night Crayton injected the sedative into my arm. I hand these three pictures to John. Ella scooted over beside him and say, "That's what she looked like when you were gone. She never smiled, only once, I think. She can never sleep without screaming and murmuring at night. She always takes first watch. She kept looking out the window."

Ella continues about the night when I suddenly just lost it, and the endless hours of doing nothing but looking out the window. After Ella was done, John looks at me apologetically and gives me a one-armed hug. I lean my head on his shoulder, holding the pictures in my hands. "Well, we can stay out here for two days at the most, then we find the Chimæras," says Crayton. We all agree, except Nine. He scoffs and walks away. I had a bad feeling that Nine was planning something even deadlier, a plan that evolved more on pride than that of intelligence. Crayton says he knows where they are, and they're all scattered in the state. By mid-afternoon, Nine gives John a training session on hand-to-hand physical combat while Marina and Ella fall under weapon usage with Crayton and me. Ella can shoot things people need a scope to see with a gun. Marina says she want to try a bow, and luckily Crayton has one and two quivers of arrows. The bow is retractable and folds to the size of a foot-long ruler, like the one in the movies. After a few tips and lessons, Marina can shoot as far as Ella can. I take out my knives, the small ones that range from three to three-and-a-half inches long. Nine and John are being watched closely by Crayton. Ella, Marina and I use trees as dummies. Ella only uses round, plastic ammo as big as a pin's head. Marina uses wood-tipped arrows instead of the metal ones dipped in Loricyde. My knives embed themselves deeply in the bark. Our weapons make noises upon contact with a tree, and thumps from the other side of camp tell me that John and Nine are still not done. My knives never miss a target. I can take two trees at a time, using my speed and telekinesis to send my used knives back at me. I'm suddenly aware that the thumps, the groans, and the loud _bang_ of Ella's gun are absent. I look behind me and see that the others are staring at me once again. I blush and send my blades back to me, keeping them in my backpack. John takes a turn with Ella and Marina, his entire body covered with light bruises. "Good luck with Six, Nine," muses John, which made Nine seem less confident than before.

He starts by tackling me, which I counter. He blocks when I jab, I counter when he attacks. I do a roundhouse which hits him far harder than I expected. He flies to the nearest tree trunk but gets quickly to his feet, as if what I did was just minor compared to what he's been through. He charges, and aims a punch at me, I grab his wrist and use his momentum to sweep him off his feet. Nina falls flat on his back, breathing heavily, his arms raised in surrender. I raise my eyebrows at him, expecting attack. I expected what just happened. When Nine swept his legs under mine, I turn invisible and roll away from his feet. I stand up, looking for an opening. His back is unguarded. I tackle him and Nine falls face first to the ground. "Six, that'd be enough," says Crayton. I turn visible and try to help Nine to his feet. He waves my hand away and mutters something that sounded like, "Sandor would've killed me if he found out I got beaten by a girl."

Crayton calls lights out after training. I share the sleeping bag with John, my head on his chest. His arm is on my waist. I can feel his heartbeat, a little too fast for my taste. I look up at him, our lips half an inch away from each other. Ella and Marina dozed off already while Nine and Crayton took first watch. John leans in and kisses me good night. I let his steady breathing lull me to sleep. John rests his chin on my head. His free hand holds mine on his chest, right above his heart. Slowly, I begin to dream safe dreams. And with his arms around me, I wasn't afraid of the nightmares anymore. I feel protected. I close my eyes and let the dreams flash behind my eyelids.


	3. Chapter 3: John

**Chapter Three**

**John**

I watch Six as she falls asleep on my chest directly above my heart. I can just remember her like this, protected by my arms, sleeping soundly. I pull her closer to me, her warmth spreading all over the side of my body. Being this close to her after two weeks makes me feel complete. _There's still Sarah, _a voice in my head says. Sarah. The thought of her makes my chest throb with pain. _She gave me out,_ I tell myself. Sarah's hooks on me are gone, but not completely. She left the holes in my heart, which can only be filled by Six. Nine extinguishes the campfire and lies on his sleeping bag. In a matter of minutes his breathing slows down. Crayton's still up, watching Ella sleep. Six stirs and escapes my embrace. I catch myself staring at her shoulder again, where the strap of her tank top is slightly lose. Crayton yawns loudly. "Crayton, you go to sleep, I'll take watch," I say, slipping out of our sleeping bag without waking Six. Before I leave the sleeping bag, I plant a light kiss on her forehead. She smiles.

Crayton stretches his arms like a kid and thanks me for taking watch. He zips his sleeping bag close and drifts off. I lean against a tree near Six. Looking at her makes me feel more confused. I have strong feelings for Six, yet I also have some part of me feeling something for Sarah until now. The longer I think about both of them, the more confused I get. With Six, I have a future on both Earth and on Lorien, if we can revive it. With Sarah, I don't know. I'll always have to be on the run with my fellow Loric. I sigh and grab my phone, dialing Sarah's number. I secretly asked Crayton to secure it for me and none of the others know except for Nine. If Six found out, things could get ugly. I haven't sent Sarah a text since she gave me out. Six reminds me that it could be Sam's mom, though I'm sure it was Sarah. Who else would text her so late that night?

In the messages, I type, _I'm sorry Sarah, for putting you through this. I regret everything deeply. I'm sorry you had to be an outcast. Now you don't have to be, because I'll never be going back. Ever. Live a long and happy life, Sarah._ After being satisfied with my message, I hit send. The weight in my chest feels definitely lighter. Six stirs in the sleeping bag. It'll take her a few minutes to realize I'm gone. I go to contacts and search for "Sarah Hart". My mind does a flashback about the time Sarah entered her very number on my phone. I blink hard and shake my head, reminding myself that Sarah no longer matters to me. I press "Delete" beside her number. I did it. Sarah's out of my life, probably forever.

"John?" Six murmurs in the dark. Her head is slightly raised, looking at me. She rubs her eyes then props herself up on the elbow. "What are you doing up?" she asks.

"I'm on watch," I say. She slips out of our sleeping bag. Her pure white cotton tank top seems to glow in the light of the dying coals. Her hair is tousled with loose strands of hair flat on her face. "Looks like you need company," she says. Six makes her way to me silently. She sits beside me, leaning her head against the tree bark. She hugs her knees, and even though it's dark, I can feel her shivering. I scoot nearer to her and wrap my arms around her. Six leans her head on my shoulder. I breathe in the smell of her hair, which was like our surroundings. Fresh night air. "You know, you're up so late at night for a reason," she whispers.

"I can't stop thinking about you,"I say. My heart beats twice as fast as usual, and I pray Six won't notice. Six snorts and looks up, her electric blue eyes cackling with excitement. Six's powerful aura is making the air around us warmer despite the weather. Our noses touch as I close our distance. Her soft lips fit perfectly with mine, as if it they were made for me alone, like my diamond-like dagger. Six runs her hand through my hair as I pull her closer to me. Her hands are flat on my chest. I can hear her pulse which is as fast as mine. She pulls away, slightly breathless. Six playfully kisses me on the cheek then disappears. "Damn it" I whisper. A silent chuckle fills my ears. With telekinesis, I grab everything around me, like I used to do when Six was invisible. I felt her up in the tree, sitting on a branch. She reappears, swinging her legs like a five-year-old. "What's the matter?" she asks softly, "Can't you climb a tree?"

I find myself climbing up the tree in the dark. It's not so easy though, considering there's not enough light. I make my hand glow, but it only makes it harder. Six laughs while watching me climb up with only one hand. Finally, I reach the branch Six is sitting on. We're fifteen feet up in the air. I walk slowly to her, my left palm aimed at me feet. The branch is thick and sturdy, enough to hold the two of us. "Are you afraid of heights?" Six mused. I sit down beside her and nudge her playfully. "No, I faced higher places than this," I say, not mentioning my time in the cave with Sam for fear she might break down to tears. "So, why are you up, besides taking first watch for Crayton?"

I considered telling her that I dumped Sarah when someone below says, "You heard him; He can't stop thinking about you."

"You're supposed to be asleep too, Nine," I say. Six huffs out a sigh and says, "And for a minute there, I thought we had some privacy."

"Well, you know that I have more developed senses than you do, right? So it's not my fault I eavesdropped," says Nine. I shine my palm at him some five feet away from our tree. He blocks his eyes with his hand. "What do you want?" Six says.

"I just thought that the two Loric Lovebirds might want to sleep rather than wake me up," Nine says. Six scowls at him then leaps gracefully off the branch. "Come on, John," she says, and I hear her stomp toward our sleeping bag. I jump off the branch and follow her while Nine sits at the base of another tree. She was already in when I reached her. I slip inside and zip the sleeping bag shut. Six scoots beside me again her head on my shoulder. She places her hand on my chest. "You're nervous," she comments. With my free hand, I hold her hand, never wanting to let go, not again. "No I'm not," I say. She smiles and says, "I can tell when I'm being lied to John."

"So that makes me a bad liar?" I muse.

"Why are you nervous? I mean, your heart's thundering," she says.

Should I tell her about my breakup text with Sarah? No, it'll make her feel guilty. But I can't just keep secrets from her. I was about to tell her when a deafening roar from inside the forest awakes the others. Crayton's on his feet immediately while he helps Marina and Ella stand up. The thing in the forest roars again, louder and nearer this time. Six and I sit bolt upright then break camp with the rest. Nine and Bernie Kosar are not around. Where are they?

In a few minutes' time, the sleeping bags strewn across the forest floor are gone. The backpacks hanging from the tree disappeared. Marina and Ella hold our things then follows Crayton to where he hid our cars. "BK! Come here, buddy!" I yell, and Bernie Kosar rushes past a clump of bushes, strictly followed by Nine. "They're here, they have a base camp downstream," he says. He cocks his head to the side and listens. The roar from the beast inside the forest is growing louder and more guttural. Six, Nine and I form a triangle, our backs against each other. I can hear Bernie Kosar growing. I squint at the trees, not risking to shine my palms. "Shit," Nine whispers. From all around us, five sets of glowing yellow eyes appear from the gloom. Silhouettes of huge beasts close in on us slowly, their footfalls shaking the ground under my feet. The piken directly in front of me snarls harshly to the beast next to it. _Master says that we leave the girl alone, _says the one in front of me. Leave the girl? Six. Why would they want to spare her?

_We'll have to take her back to camp, _growls the piken facing Nine. His hands were clenched in fists. I remember how he can kill two pikens at the same time with only his bare hands. I sneak a sideways glance at Nine, who was just as confused as I am. A streak of lightning enters the thick canopy above us. Six is brewing a storm over head. I glance at her, and her eyes were glowing—again, like they were electricity cackling with energy. Six emits a bluish aura, like her eyes. Her fists were clenched tightly. With a flash of white light the trees surrounding us erupted in flames, and the pikens closing in on us came to full view. All of them were a bit bigger than Bernie Kosar, who transformed into something that looks like a skinny mammoth with long teeth. Their skin is coal black protected by coppery scales. They look like overgrown and deathly monkeys without tails. Their teeth are as long and sharp as my dagger, which was locked in my Chest under the passenger seat of the SUV. I curse. Two of the pikens growled then charged. Bernie Kosar lunges into the first piken, their gnawing teeth sending jitters through my body.

Nine has his hands full with a piken stronger and slightly faster than the rest. Two of them are clawing at Six, trying not to hurt her, which struck me as weird. The piken in front of me tenses, like a cat in a middle of a fight in an alley. Before it pounces, I shine my Lumen brightly, directed into the monster's eyes. It staggers backward, blocking the intense light with its paws. With telekinesis, I pick up a charred piece of a tree, which was burned by Six's lightning. I forcefully thrust it in the monster's chest. It wails in agony for a minute then dissolves into ash. Bernie Kosar's teeth sank into a piken's neck, and instantly explodes to dirt. Bernie Kosar fends off a piken that swatted Six with its claw. "Six!" I yell as she hits a tree thirty yards away. She clings to the tree for dear life. Below her the flames are growing steadily higher. Nine kills a piken then help Bernie Kosar. Six tries to keep the flames at bay, then a piken snatches her out of the tree. "No!" I yell, and with my own strength, I tackle the piken. I can't let it take her. The monster staggers into the flames, its roars waking half the country. Six falls from the beast's fist—straight into the flames. I held her up in the dust-coated air. The last two pikens fall and reduce to ashes. The one who tried to spare Six stares at me then explodes, taking the flames with it. "Six?" I say, setting her down on the grass. There's a bloody gash on her right side, her white cotton tank top now damp with blood. "Get Marina! Hurry!" I order. Nine speeds off. Bernie Kosar licks Six's hand gingerly. The grass surrounding her right side was dappled red. Marina rushes from behind me. I hold Six's bloody hand, not daring to let go. Marina kneels beside me then places her hands on Six's wound. Six's breathing slows down. New flesh covers up the open wound. After Marina's satisfied, she pulls her hands away. Under the rip in her bloody shirt, Six looked perfectly fine. "Thanks," she says to Marina. She smiles then snatches a handful of moss, wiping the blood from her palms. Nine has a cut on his lower lip. Marina insists on healing it, placing her fingers gingerly on Nine's lips. He looks uncomfortable for a moment, then breathes a sigh of relief when the cut on his lip was gone.

After a few minutes of being treated, we were all fit to run through the forest. Marina leads us to a dirt road leading to a family vacation house several miles away. Crayton and Ella are already in their pickup truck with our luggage at the back, covered with a water-proofed blanket. Six rummages for her backpack, then removes a pair of new clothes. She turns invisible then changes. My heart flips. Six is half naked in front of me, though not technically visible. She throws her tank top at me, then her bloody pair of shorts. She turns visible five minutes later, wearing a gray tee and another pair of shorts. She takes her clothes from me, and I swear she was blushing. In fact, my own cheeks feel hot. Six hops into the driver's seat then starts the engine. Nine and Marina are smiling at me like I made a joke. I stare daggers at them then walk a little too eagerly to our SUV.


	4. Chapter 4: John

**Chapter Four**

**John**

Crayton leads us to the deserted vacation house just miles away from the Mog Camp. Six made a pretty good job of erasing our tracks. After minutes of driving, we reach a cottage with gray stoned pavement that looked like amethyst under the early morning sky. With the light of the headlights, the cottage had only one floor with mahogany walls instead of cement. It's typically a wooden box with a green roof and a chimney. The shutters and curtains are closed. The house is surrounded by trees, like every part of this forsaken forest. Crayton stops in front of the house, gets out and asks Nine to unlock the door. Six gets out and opens the door for Bernie Kosar. My mind has been doing flashbacks of the beasts' conversation about Six. _Master says that we leave the girl alone, _what did that mean? Was it about Six, Marina or even little Ella? Even so, they're my family, like sisters. Well, maybe except Six. I know I have to protect them.

Marina and Nine carry everything else as we moved into the cottage of someone else. Ella has a good grip on Six's hand. I help Crayton camouflage our vehicles. Once he's satisfied, we settle in for the night. We didn't dare open the curtains, no matter how chilly it seems in this eerie cottage. I shine my Lumen faintly, aimed toward the ceiling. On my right was a living room with a couch, a rectangular coffee table and a fireplace. Further down the corridor was the dining room and the kitchen. At the end of the hall were two doors that led to the bedrooms.

Six carries a younger version of Ella to one of the bedrooms and tucks her in. "Can Bernie Kosar sleep with me?" I hear Ella ask. Six whistles softly and Bernie Kosar trots with his tail lazily wagging into Ella's room. Six walks out a little while later. My fellow Loric and I sit in the circular dining table. "John, tell me, what happened when you were attacked?" asks Crayton, his hands interlocked in front of him. Six sits beside me, her thigh against mine. Nine and Marina look expectantly at me. Nine nods and helps me recall the events, omitting the monster's conversation. After we were done, Crayton shifts in his seat. Six holds my hand under the table. Marina gets up and says, "I'll watch over Ella, make sure she's asleep." She walks down the hall. We hear the door close. Crayton bows his head down, his forehead touching his fingers like in prayer. Nine has his hands on his temple. "They—the pikens—said something about sparing a girl," I say, my own voice shaky and weak.

Crayton's head snaps up from his fingers. Six looks at me questioningly. "Did they tell you why they were ordered to spare a girl?" Crayton asks me. I shake my head. "They didn't tell you who the girl is?" asks Crayton.

"No."

"Then it can be Six, Marina or Ella," says Nine hopefully, but Crayton shakes his head. "There's a reason why you three were cornered. If my hunch is right, they were after Six and her alone," he says.

"But why me? Why not Marina or Ella?" Six asks.

"Setrákus Ra has plans for you, Six, and I fear it might be because of your power."

"Crayton, why Six? I'm more trained than her. I've spent half my life in that god damned cave. So why Six?" asks Nine, the distaste in his voice evidently directed to Six. He obviously doesn't want to be compared to others. I got angry for that, but Six's hand gives mine a gentle squeeze. I calm down a little, though I can't shake the feeling of distaste toward Nine. Only now do I realize that I find myself very protective of Six even though I know she can handle herself.

"Six's powerful enough to bring forth the destruction of the Earth itself. Setrákus wouldn't have to break a sweat in the destroying this world. He sees you as an advantage, as you may call, on his side of war. With you, he can wipe out as many planets as he pleases. The Mogadorians knew that the time you were in Spain. That's why they're hunting you down, Six. And for that you should be careful," says Crayton. A minute stretches to ten as he let that sink in. The air around us begun to smell like ozone. Six's eyes were beginning to glow faintly. "_Six…the power of…"_ Henri's last words enter my brain, and the pain of him being killed overpowers me again. I'm beginning to suspect it had something to do with our situation now. Had Henri planned everything, even before he died? Had he foreseen that one day Setrákus Ra would be after Six?

"What would make that asshole think I'll be there on his side?" growls Six, who had started to shake with anger. I put one arm around her and try to rub a portion of tenseness on her shoulder. It helped a little, but the smell of ozone still fills the musty air. I fear that any moment now Six would let lightning strike the roof.

"Oh, they have their ways," says Nine. He stands up to full height then stretches, his fingertips a foot below the ceiling. "Get some rest, all of you. I need to think about something," says Crayton. Our chairs creak as we stood up. Six's eyes return to their normal state. Six grabs a sleeping bag then walk in the other room. I hesitate when I got to the door. Nine will be eavesdropping again, no doubt. I walk back to the dining room, where Crayton had his computer set turned on. He kind of reminds me of Henri, but I push that thought aside. With one of his laptops, I open a document program and type, _I need a sedative_.

Crayton raises his eyebrows at me. I give him a pleading look. He stands up and goes to his bag, opens it and rummages in it for a few minutes. He hands me a shot then returns to the dining room. With my hearing focused in the other room, I hear Nine and Marina talking about our discussion with Crayton and something else that got Marina giggly. I enter their room and ask, "Can I talk to Nine for a few minutes?" Marina nods then sleeps beside Ella, who's hugging Bernie Kosar like a stuffed toy. Nine gets up and faces me. "What?" he asks. With lightning speed I jam the needle in his arm. I push the plunger down. Nine's face was contorted with rage and drowsiness. His eyes close as he falls to the floor with a loud thud. Marina sits bolt upright, but I tell her it's okay, hiding the syringe in the back-pocket of my jeans. Marina raises her eyebrows at me then hefts Nine up with telekinesis. He lands on his side on his sleeping bag. I mouth _Thank you_ to Marina then close the door. Finally, some real privacy with Six.

My heart's beating as fast as I can run, the blood in my ears pounding. As I reach for the door knob, I can feel my face heating up. I remember the night Six and I went on a walk. "John?" she had said, even before I reached her door. I knew how hard it was for her to sleep on the floor. I remember how fragile-looking her hand was in mine. I remember purposely slowing down to spend more time with her. I remember regretting the explosion from the upper floor of the house. Until now I think of the possibility of what could've happened then. I take a deep breath then clutch the door knob.

When I open the door, I see Six hugging her knees, crying again. When she sees me she stands up and flings her arms around me, still sobbing. I close the door behind me without letting go of Six. I settle Six down on the floor, where our sleeping bag waits. She buries her face in my shoulder as I stroke her hair, trying to calm her down. "Hey, everything will be alright. You have me. I'll protect you no matter what," I say, lifting her face with my finger under her chin. I wipe her tears away and put loose strands of hair behind her ear. She smiles slightly, than says, "What, you don't think I can't handle myself out there?"

I smile back and kiss her, my hand cupping her cheek. Six runs her hand through my hair again, only this time her hands stay there. My free hand rubs the small of her back. Ever so slowly, a certain hunger for Six builds up inside me, a feeling I have never felt with Sarah before. I kiss her back, more hungrily this time. She kisses me back with the same pressure. I can feel her smile against my lips, and in a swift move, Six has me pinned flat on my back like when we spar in the yard back in Florida. Her nose brushes mine. Her pendant begins to glow faintly, and so does mine. Six is so close I can feel her breath, which smelled of something like strawberries. "I love you, Six," I say, putting her hair behind her ear. The words escape my mouth flawlessly. Our pendants begun to glow, but I didn't mind it. "I love you too, John," Six says, and as she kisses me, our pendants got heavy. A bright pale blue light swallows the amulets. Six pulls away just as the light fades all at once. "What was that?" she asks. She pull away at arm's length, enough for her necklace to hover inches above my chest. Her pendant was spinning, and as it rotated, I saw my symbol. "No way," I say, holding her pendant in front of her. On the front of the amulet is her symbol and at the back it was mine. I tug on the chain of my necklace until I reach my pendant. They were exactly the same.

"Should we tell Crayton and the others?" she asks. I shake my head and pull her close to me. My lips found hers. Six seemed to forget what just happened. Her fingers runs through my hair again. I place my hands on her hips and roll, so it's me on top of her. It didn't break our kiss though. I didn't know what went through my mind but I fingers found the hem of her tank top. I pull it over her head, our kiss momentarily broken. I toss her shirt across the far corner of the room. After a few minutes, Six returns the favor. I risk a glance at her face, which was as red as mine. My heart begins to race. Her hands trace my chest, her fingers as smooth and soft as rose petals despite her physical strength. She pulls away slightly, our upper lips brushing. Six places her palm on my chest, where my heart does a flip. "You look beautiful, Maren Elizabeth," I say, kissing her cheek lightly. She chuckles then brings my lips to hers.


	5. Chapter 5: Six

**Chapter Five**

**Six**

I had the weirdest yet the best dream of my life last night. John and I, rolling over and over on the floor, our lips glued to each other. I know it wasn't the first time we kissed but it always felt like it. Our amulets transforming, and until now I still don't get that part. But when I woke up this morning, I figured I wasn't dreaming. I lay beside John with my head on his bare chest. I can feel my exposed skin pressed against his side. My heart's filled with happiness, a happiness I can only share and have with John Smith. Birds sing in the chilly morning air. John stirs under me and opens his eyes. "Good morning," I say, looking up at him with my chin on his chest. He raises his head, his blue eyes twinkling mischievously. Before I can protest, he pulls himself over me, a smile playing on the lips I kissed all night. He leans in and kisses me, for the hundredth time perhaps. I cup his cheek with my hands, feel his stomach brushing against mine. He pulls away, grinning from ear to ear. "Come on. I'm hungry," I say, pushing him to his side playfully. I slip out of our sleeping bag and pick up my tank top from the far corner of the room, near the flat screen TV. John props himself up on his elbows and ruffles his hair. I had to admit my heart skipped a view beats. I shake my head and pick up John's blue t-shirt. I toss it to him and put on the tank top. I tie my hair in a ponytail then walk out hand-in-hand with John.

Ella and Crayton are already up, and by the sleepy look on Crayton's face, I assume he didn't sleep last night. Ella sits beside Crayton with her notepad in front of her. The sofa creeks as John and I sat down. Ella looks up then smiles. She abandons her notepad and walks barefooted to us. I undo my current ponytail and sit on the floor. Ella sits behind me on the couch. I felt her fingers weave in and out of my hair. I watch her reflection on the blank TV screen in front of us. After Ella was done, I give her the hair tie I used earlier. She locks the braid in place then asks, "Four, can I play with Bernie Kosar?"

"Sure, Ella," says John. He calls out for Bernie Kosar, and he comes trotting from the hall in his beagle form. Ella giggles and shifts into a younger age, five or four years old. She laughs as Bernie Kosar licks her face. From the corner of my eye, I see Crayton smile. I lean my head on John's leg. "It's too bad you don't have hair, Bernie Kosar, if not you'll have ponytails in it!" Ella exclaims. John and I laugh as Bernie Kosar turns into a reptilian bird with large bat wings and lifts Ella a few feet in the air. I sit cross-legged on the sofa next to John, watching Ella giggle loudly. John wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me closer, kissing the side of my face softly. Bernie Kosar drops Ella on the floor, who writhes and is in a serious fit of giggles. John rests his head on my lap and feigns sleep as I run my fingers absent-mindedly through his hair. Ella stops laughing for a minute then approaches us. With her little finger she prods John's cheek. John surprises her, playing peek-a-boo like me and my grandmother when I was young. Ella brings on a new fit of laughter so loud it woke up Nine and Marina. They walk down the hall, first Marina, then closely followed by Nine. Nine stares murderously at John then walks over to Crayton, borrowing one of his laptops. "What's up with him?" I ask John, who was looking at me from my lap. "I drugged him last night," he says annoyingly, loud enough for Nine to hear.

"Why did you drug him?" I ask, brushing a strand of hair off his face. John just looked at me mischievously. Nine's fingers are drumming forcefully on the keyboard. Ella and Marina are cooking something in the kitchen using the food we found in the refrigerator. Besides John, Ella and Marina are the only people who knew how to cook. The smell of eggs and bacon fill the air. "Breakfast is ready!" yelled Ella, a huge smile on her red face. I nudge John off my lap, resulting in him falling on the floor.

"Damn it, Six," he mutters under his breath, straightening his clothes as he stands up. Crayton and Nine puts the computers away for the food Ella and Marina brought in. I sit beside John again, silently eating my food. Ella feeds Bernie Kosar half her bacon strips. He munches them down as soon as the bacon enters his mouth. Once we were finished, John and I washed the dishes near the sink in the kitchen. I was scrubbing the last plate when Crayton says, "We have to get a move on, Minnesota, perhaps, right Ella?"

"Yeah, that's where we left Linda and Jake, right Papa?" says Ella. Crayton smiles at Ella. I'm still touched by the way Ella calls Crayton "Papa". I've never called Katarina my mother, unless totally necessary. John dries the plate then places it in the cabinet. Nine's in front of the laptop again while Marina's rubbing Bernie Kosar's belly on the floor. "Crayton, who are Linda and Jake?" asks Marina. "They're Chimæras. Ella and I first stayed there, in St. Cloud. We'll leave in first light tomorrow."

John disappears to our room with his bags slung over his shoulder. Marina and Ella are repacking their clothes, the ones they untidily packed up back at the motel. Nine and Crayton are using the computers once again. I sigh then retreat to our room, lazily dragging my bags along with me. When I enter the room I see John's clothes strewn all over the bed. I exhale through the nose loudly then sit on the floor, using telekinesis to fix John's clothes while manually fixing my own. After a few minutes I was done, with our bags zipped tight. I carry them off the bed and place them leaning on the wall near the door. I decided to check the bathroom for dirty clothes, but when I opened the door I saw John dripping wet, naked. His eyes widen in surprise as I give a short yelp. I turn around and close the door hastily, feeling my cheeks burn with embarrassment.

John comes out in a pair of boxers a while later, his tan cheeks highlighted with bright red. "I'm sorry," I say, my gaze averted so that I spoke to the floor instead. "No, it's alright. I should've locked the door," he says, and though I can't see him, I can hear him make his way to me. I look at him and see my favorite smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "I'm making you nervous," he says sheepishly. His lips crashed into mine slowly. My hands rest on his damp chest. Besides the pounding in my ears, I hear a lock click. I pull away slightly, breathing heavily. John closes our distance, our kiss deepening. I can feel his hands on the small of my back. I drape my right arm on his shoulders while the other knots in his still-wet hair. We're so close to each other you can't slip a piece of paper between us. John has me pinned against the wall, where my head hits with a thud. I moan slightly, but it was muffled by our kiss. His lips move along my jaw line and onto my neck, exploring its length. My own ragged breathing fills my ears. I pull John's lips back to mine as we stumble on the bed. John pulls my tank top above my head and lets it drop on the floor. His hands pin mine of either side of me, his lips hungrily kissing mine. He pulls away, slightly gasping for air. I stare in his deep blue eyes and lose myself when our kissing began again.

* * *

Three quick raps on the door woke me up. I'm lying on my side with only blankets wrapped around me. John's left arm is under my head like a pillow while his other arm is draped on my waist. I can feel his chest pressed against my back, his breathing sending warm air at the back of my neck. The knocking continues. "John, get the door," I murmur groggily. Instead he snuggles near me, his head rested on the side of my face. "I'm serious," I whisper, nudging him aside. "Just a second!" I say, and it's Ella who answers. "Okay, I just wanted to check on you. We're training outside, if you want to join." After that I hear her footsteps fade away. John opens his eyes slightly, running his fingers through his hair. I lie flat on my back, pulling sheets high up my arms, replaying the events in my mind. John props himself up on one elbow then gazes down at me, brushing loose strands of hair off my face. He cups my cheek in his hand, his blue eyes boring in mine. I lean against his hand, closing my eyes contentedly. What John and I just did had me bone tired. "We have some training to do," John says, kissing me playfully. "Well, then get dressed," I say, shoving him away from me as I turn invisible. I swing my legs off the bed and stand, picking my clothes off the floor, my cheeks heating up as I go.

I occupy the bathroom while I change. I decided to take a bath. I lock the door, though I doubt it'll keep John away. I turn the shower on and savor the moment the icy water hits my skin, not caring whether it made my teeth chatter or not. I gently rubbed every part of my body, ridding it of the sweat and grime. At some point I killed ten minutes remembering how our experience felt like. "Six! Stop drowning yourself there! Crayton needs us now!" yells John. I turn the shower off and wrap a towel around me. I dry my hair then unlock the door. I walk as casually as I can to my backpack and pull out a pair of gym shorts, a plain white tee and underwear. After that I lock myself in the bathroom, again.

John and I walk outside. The sun seemed to be on the other side of the sky. I'm beginning to wonder how long John and I have been asleep.

Marina's getting pretty handy with the bow right now, shooting trees only our eyes can see then retrieving her arrows with telekinesis. I'm surprised at how hard the arrows must be. Ella's having target practice with Nine, who was wearing a thick, black suit from head to toe. The ammo Ella is using must be sticky because Nine's suit is full of small, round, plastic bullets. Crayton's sitting on the porch with a few suitcases laid out in front of him. In his hands were a piece of cloth and a gun resembling a rifle only that its thicker and is made of silver. Crayton sees me then beams. "See what I have with the suitcase of your number," says Crayton, then ushers John next to him, where a pile of shiny, newly polished guns await. I find my suitcase, which had a medium-sized 6 engraved on a copper nameplate. I unlock the suitcase and feel my eyes widen. Inside were rows upon rows of sharp and deadly knives. On the top lid were knives labeled W/ L, standing for "With Loricyde". I see myself reflected on the blades, ranging from three to six inches long. I trace the shiny blades with my fingertips until I spotted what I like. It is a blade five inches long with two edges, like a mini sword. I grasped the hilt and see my iris reflected on the blade. I walk back inside and grab my vest, filling it up with Crayton's knives. I step out into the yard and breathe in the air. I bend my knees and imagine a battle scene, like Katarina use to tell me to. _You're the hunter now, so act like it, _I hear her say. I grip the flats of my blades, throwing them so forcefully that each and every one of them sank hilt-deep in a tree bark. I shoulder-roll then keep throwing, narrowly missing Nine running in and out of trees. I send my knives back to me with my mind. When my last knife reached my pocket, an explosion not far from us rocks the ground under our feet.


	6. Chapter 6: John

**Chapter Six**

**John**

Crayton abruptly stops our conversation when we hear an explosion in the distance. "Pack up, immediately," Crayton says, his eyes staring at the trees. Nine rushes to Crayton, hastily taking off his black suit. Six holds Ella's hand as they run back inside to get our things. Marina stays rooted on the ground, an arrow already on her bow. Six and Ella come out, arms full with luggage. Nine hands the suit to Crayton and runs out to stand beside Marina, two guns in each of his arm. Six throws our things in the back when another explosion is heard, nearer this time. "Let's go!" Crayton says, handing me some suitcases. When I just had about everything, a thought pops into my head. The cave in Virginia has been full of Mogs—perfectly trained not to make mistakes. Why would they make their own camp blow up? Unless someone's there, captured…

"Wait!" I yell, and five sets of eyes turned to look at me. "Don't you think it's a little too odd that they would blow up their own base camp?" I say, "I know them! They're trained to do everything perfectly! One wrong mistake means death there!"

"John's right," Six says. She fills her vest with knives and says, "John, Marina and I will check. Nine, you help Crayton and Ella protect yourselves on the road. We'll meet you at the end of the road. Go!" At hyper speed I open my Chest and take out the dagger. I held the handle in my hand, watching it elongate and wrap around my entire hand. I follow Six and Marina as we speed off into the forest.

Marina takes lead, shooting Mogs in a distance. Six brings up the rear, letting the earth swallow the Mogs whole if they came too close for her taste. Her eyes flashes dangerously—I mean it, literally. Every time I look back I see her eyes glowing. She looks back at me then throws a knife, narrowly missing my right ear. I look behind me and see a cloud of dust and a knife floating in mid-air. We keep running until we see fire blazing. Six takes up the lead, the flames parting on where she stands. Marina does a perimeter around the inferno, taking down enemies out of the flames then retrieving her arrows. I walk around the camp, but there's nothing really much to see; everything was burned down to ashes.

"Over here!" I hear Six yell, somewhere off to my right. I run through the flames, the tickling sensation crawling up and down my body. Just out of the haze, I see Six with a woman draped over her, approximately forty years old. Behind Six is a girl my age and height, with flaming red hair, like the inferno. Her sea green eyes are full of fear, but she kept steady. "Come on, let's get Marina and the others," I say, carrying the woman for Six, though I'm sure she can handle it. Together we run across the flames, which were parting in front of us. The girl with Six has her eyes so wide the eyeball might fall out if its socket. "Marina!" Six yells, and she appears behind a tree, her quiver half empty. Together we run across the forest, Six in front while Marina takes up the rear. The woman draped on my shoulder grunts softly. In a few minutes we reach the end of the road, where the pickup truck and the SUV are parked. I set the lady down on the road. She has a gaping wound on her forehead. The redheaded girl kneels down beside her, clutching her hand. Marina comes over then places her hands on the lady's forehead. Redhead watches anxiously as Marina works her magic. New skin stretches over the wound. "Who are you people?" Redhead asks, moving protectively near the woman.

"I am Seven," Marina says, and one by one all of us introduced ourselves, ending with Ella. "I am Eight, but I go by Meredith. This is my Cêpan, Rebecca. And how come there's Number Ten? I thought we were only nine," says Meredith. Crayton helps Rebecca and Meredith in the pickup truck with Ella while Nine and Marina ride with us. Bernie Kosar paws the fronts window, saying _Dude just left me out._ I roll my eyes at him and open the door. Nine gets behind the wheel with Marina in front. She rubs the entire length of Bernie Kosar's body. Six sits beside me, holding my hand in hers. "One down, one to go," she says. _And an entire army of Chimæra to find, _I think, but she's right. We almost found the Garde. The only one left to find is Five.

Crayton drives to the nearest motel available. He parks in the parking lot and gets out. Nine rolls his window down. "Rebecca says they've been tracking Five for quite some time now. We'll stay here until they get better," he says, then turns to the motel to check us in. Six turns invisible while she's holding my hand. Bernie Kosar hops in the back so that we can slip out without suspicion. Meredith holds her Cêpan steady as we walk to the motel. Ella catches up with Marina and holds her hand. Nine says he'll be back after a perimeter check then speeds off. We enter the motel and follow Crayton as he lead us to the lower room near our vehicles.

Six turns visible right before Meredith's eyes. "Okay, now you have to tell what your Legacies are. Spill it," says Meredith, sitting on the foot of the bed then crossing her legs casually. Her sleek red hair is pulled into a ponytail that brings out her eyes. Now that I can see her clearly, she had freckles on her cheeks. "Has Crayton—" I ask, and she simply nods. Ella shifts to a younger age and sits beside Meredith. Six begins telling her about our Legacies, starting with me. After she's done, Meredith says, "I'm a Sensior," she says, and by the puzzled look on our faces she explains, "Sensiors are Loric who can sense and control people's feelings. Anyway, I can create force fields even Loricyde can't penetrate and I'm a Metamorphagus."

"I thought that's just for Harry Potter," I say. "Yeah, that's just what Rebecca and I call my Legacy. Metamorphagi are people who can change their appearance, disguise themselves," says Meredith. She stands up and closes her eyes in concentration. Then her hair begins to grow longer and curlier. The red color washes down from the roots to the tips, replaced by a golden yellow. She shoots up a little, her shoulders thinning, her neck elongating a little. When she opens her eyes, they were blue. An exact replica of Six is standing where Meredith was. I'm so shocked I felt my mouth drop. Her eyes flashed green, then back to blue. "This is how I can change myself," says Meredith, morphing herself back to her original state.

Nine comes back with good news; no one was scouting us. "Maybe we should share our situation with them," says Nine, nodding to Meredith and Rebecca, who was thanking Marina again for a good job at healing her. "What situation?" asks Rebecca. We—Crayton, Nine, Six and I—began to explain Setrákus Ra's plan with Six. I can tell Six is uncomfortable with it, because she was disturbingly quiet. Meredith notices this and attempts to cheer her up. Six casts a murderous glare at her then walks out, invisible. I stand up from the conversation, put on a jacket and slip outside. I grab everything around me with telekinesis and find her, staring out into the horizon. A few feet before I reach her, she materializes, the color of the sunset reflected in her eyes. "What's wrong?" I ask, though I already knew the answer.

"I just don't want to be part of his plan. I mean, I'm a threat to all of us now. With a single mood swing I can destroy Earth and every innocent people with it," Six says miserably.

"I won't let him get to you, you know that," I say, hugging her tightly from behind.

"But what if he uses Sam against me, what happens then?" she says, her voice breaking with every word.

Sam. My best friend who likes Six. A friend who got left behind because of the obsession of finding his dad, the man who helped Henri and me get started here on Earth. Is it possible that Setrákus Ra will be able to use Sam as leverage? Could he easily blackmail Six into joining him for Sam's sake?

"Look, I know this is hard for you. But he can't do that. I will never let that happen. I'm going to protect you. I love you, and I will never let anything happen to you," I whisper in her ear, using the most comfortable tone I have. She calms down a little, but the thought of Sam has been etched to her brain so deep I fear she might never be the same again. I lead her back inside, in our tight room. I wasn't sure it'll hold all of us, and Crayton says no other room is vacant. "John and I'll sleep in the car," Six says, her voice in cracks. Crayton raises his eyes at me, but I shake my head. He gives Six a pair of blankets before she walks out of the room. _I can come with you if you want, bro, _chides Bernie Kosar, who's pawing at my feet. I look in his round beagle eyes and see myself reflected there. I sigh and let Bernie out. He barks loudly and attempts to catch his tail, running around and around until he gave up. I smile a little. I see Six in the back of our SUV, her face in her hands. I lead Bernie Kosar at the front seat while I enter the back. Six sobs on my chest the minute I close the door. I hug her tightly, trying to comfort her, but I think she can't hear it. I wipe her tears away with my fingers, staring at her puffy eyes. I kiss her softly, my hand cupping her cheek. She pulls away and snuggles on my lap, my arm still wrapped around her. She doesn't let go of my hand, even when I think it's gone numb. I see Meredith and Rebecca come out of the room, walking to the pickup truck. I guess they're going shopping, considering half their clothes got burned to ash.

Six slightly snores from my lap, her grip on my already-numb hand loosening. I brush the loose strands of hair from the side of her face, caressing her cheek lightly. I lean my head against the window and fall asleep almost immediately.

* * *

The dream came as soon as my eyes closed.

I'm in the cave that haunted Six's dreams, where I'd lost my first best friend. As far as I can see, there was only darkness. I stand corrected. A stage light shines on a boy on a slab tilted at a slight angle. He appears to be unconscious. Belts of steel wrapped around his torso, arms, and legs. _Sam, I'm sorry buddy, _I think, though I'm perfectly sure he can't hear me. The sight of Sam unconscious on some scientist's slab make me nauseous. I take cautious steps towards Sam although I already know I'm invisible. More light switch on, I run as quickly as I can to one of the stone pillars. We must be in one of the Mogadorian labs. The stone walls were all evened out and painted bright white. A few Mogs stand in front of computers behind Sam. A long panel is being manned by four of them. On a chair directly in front Sam, Setrákus Ra waits, his hands interlocked, like an anxious businessman. A Mogadorian in a white surgeon's suit enters a sliding door built into the wall. He injects something in Sam's arm and he jolts awake, writhing and straining against the belts. A fresh wave of guilt washes over me. If I hadn't stopped Sam, none of this will ever happen. But, then again, Six and will never be that close to each other, for Sam's sake. I push that thought aside when Setrákus speaks, "So, young human, what are you doing here?"

"None of your concern," Sam says. Setrákus Ra stands up and glowers over Sam. "Don't worry, once I'm done with you, I'll kill you quickly so that you won't feel any pain."

"They'll come back for me," spits Sam. Setrákus Ra smiles, showing his stained teeth. "You're right, Sam Goode. You're friends, Number Four and Number Nine, will come back for sure. And what about the girl, Eight? Will she be coming too?" Setrákus says.

Sam was about to say something, probably say Six's true identity, but closes his mouth shut again. "Yeah, and they'll be ready to kick your ass," says Sam coolly, though I sense there was an edge of doubt in his voice. "Yes, indeed, but I sense one is already near," says Setrákus, then stares right at me. I met his eyes for a second before the vision blurs, and finally disappears.

"John!" says Six, shaking me frantically. I open my eyes as Six wipes a trickle of sweat from my forehead. The dream seemed like only minutes, but when I look at the clock, three hours have passed. I'm short of breath, my throat and tongue bone dry. Six hands me a bottle of water. I drink everything until the last drop. "What did you see?" she asks, her eyes still a bit puffy but filled with concern.

I sigh and say, "Sam's in trouble."


	7. Chapter 7: Six

**Chapter Seven**

**Six**

"What happened?" I demand, feeling the color drain from my face. John doesn't answer. He presses his lips in a tight line. I'm beginning to feel queasy, a new tugging sensation in my gut. I was right. Setrákus will use Sam against me. And there's nothing John or any of the others can do about it.

John sighs and casts a glance at Bernie Kosar, who was sniffing the pair of glasses on the dashboard. I hid it in the glove compartment with my mind because it brings too many awful memories. I wait for the tears to come, but none does. I think I shed too much for a day already. I just stare unblinkingly at John, and just absent-mindedly rest my head on his chest. I wait for him to start talking but he never did. I'm beginning to think he won't tell me for my sake, not just his. I look out the window, where storm clouds form rapidly. A strike of lightning illuminates the parking lot. "Six," John murmurs, looking at the storm I created. I exhale slowly, watching the clouds deplete to nothing. Surprisingly, he's the only one who can control me, like he's made for me. I clutch my pendant, which was hanging from my neck in full view. I twirl it around my fingers until the chain becomes twisted, and like a child I held it in front of me and watch it spin, slowly at first, then rapidly. I stop the pendant in mid-spin, where my pendant is showing John's symbol. Just looking at it, I felt the need to protect him, from me or whoever it is that threatens him, be it one of us. I love him that much.

John slightly snores with his forehead glued to the window. Bernie Kosar lets out a doggy sneeze from up front. I sigh and let my head fall back on his lap.

* * *

Three boring days followed since John's dream, which he hadn't talked about. The others tried to take turns sleeping in the car, but it ended with painful stiff-necks and cramps. John and I took turns sleeping in the SUV. He didn't have further premonitions.

Meredith's been urging me to practice training with her, using my Legacy against her force field. We did, once. What happened was that I broke her force field with a single yet powerful strike of lightning, resulting in her being unconscious for a full twelve hours. I apologized again and again to both Rebecca and Meredith, but they reassured me they were perfectly fine. Meredith can sense that I'm uncomfortable, and with Ella and Marina's help they tried to cheer me up. Once, Meredith threw me a crumpled piece of motel stationary in frustration. I set it on fire then threw it back at her, and it hit the curtain, but it didn't burn. I just willed it to dissolve to ashes. Crayton and Rebecca cast me nervous glances with the sedatives ready. "Just in case," Crayton had said, giving everyone but Ella and me a syringe half full of sleep syrup. I didn't mind, considering John was there to calm me down.

This morning we pack up, heading for Illinois. After we're satisfied, John and I hold hands while I turn invisible. John and I scouted ahead of the others. Bernie Kosar sniffs at the air, then runs to our SUV. This time, it's Meredith and Rebecca in our car. Rebecca opens the door for us and Bernie Kosar. Once inside, I materialize, and so does John. We watch Crayton and Nine fill the back of the truck with our stuff. Nine covers it with the water proof blanket and hops in after Crayton. Rebecca brings the engine to life and leaves the parking lot with Crayton in tow.

Meredith transforms herself into me again. She smiles mischievously at John and me. I'm disturbed at the way she does that. It's like having an evil twin. Her eyes flash green then back to blue freakishly. "Knock it off, Eight," I say, trying as much as possible to bury my feelings deep under me. Aside from being a freakish copycat, Meredith can sense what I feel right now. I've been trying to hide my feeling from her, locking it in a box that I will never open within ten miles of her. But, still, she can feel it. Meredith, still in her Six-form, pouts then returns to her original form. I fiddle with the Rubik's cube Meredith had. "I just can't solve this damned thing!" she had yelled the night before, throwing it in the trash. I saved it and started experimenting. I remember playing with this with Katarina before when we're tired from training. She taught me how to solve it, but now her steps were fuzzy I can't seem to remember.

I rotate the pieces until I give up and let it hover in mid-air. I was three colors away from solving it. I frown, trying to remember what Katarina said. _Repeat and reverse,_ she said, holding my hands and moving the pieces with it. With telekinesis, I try to recall the steps. John watches my every move intently. With a final squeak, I look surprisingly at the Rubik's cube; it was complete. I scan the colors, making sure I don't miss anything. They appear to be in check. I floated the cube to Meredith's lap. She yelps and then asks, "How?"

I shrug at her as she places the cube on the dashboard, where Sam's glasses was. We make small talk, but it seems all of us prefer to remain quiet. Meredith chooses a random radio station and listens to the news. Once she finds it's boring, she chooses another station, where The Cab was in the middle of singing their song, "Endlessly". John lies down on my lap and takes a nap. Seeing him asleep make my cheeks heat up. He looks younger, maybe fourteen. Does everybody look younger in their sleep?

I allow myself to sleep for an hour or two with my head on the window.

* * *

"Six? Oh, Six?" chides Meredith teasingly, waving a box of food in front of me. My nose picks up the smell of chicken.

"She'll smack you if you don't stop," says John with a mouthful of food. But still, Meredith waves the box nearer to my face. The tip of my nose got dipped in gravy. "Stop it," I say, sitting up from John's lap. I snatch the box away from Meredith and wipe my nose with tissue. I dig in, looking outside. The clock read 2:39 in the afternoon. "Where are we?" I ask between bites.

"In a gas station halfway from Chicago. Rebecca says we'll stop there until we now our next move," John says. I dip a piece of chicken in gravy just as Rebecca enters the car and starts the engine. We hit the road at once with Crayton behind us. After I ate my share, I pass Meredith the box and she throws it in a make shift garbage bag in front. Bernie Kosar barks at John's feet. Chicago, the windy city. I remember begging Katarina to live there, but she said it was a such a crowded city. John has his solar system out, and I watch as the planets rotate. I see Lorien as a barren wasteland of gray. My memories of Lorien are more vivid than ever. I remember Grams, with her old and papery skin clinging to her bone like loose sleeves. Her gray hair was always tied in a tight bun behind her head. She was level-headed, like me. She was the best cook in the house, and too bad I didn't inherit it. Grandpa, with his square-rimmed glasses and sunny smiles, is the very opposite of Grams. He was goofy, always bringing giggles in the air. He'd tickle me when I wouldn't cooperate. He'd tuck me in at night and stayed beside me when I couldn't sleep. Then I remember John in his toddler years, running around soft grass under clear cerulean blue skies in a field accentuated by tall trees with low branches. Now all of those luscious blues and greens are gone, because of the Mogadorians.

I frown at the rotating orb, which was lifeless compared to the planet I remembered. John shines his Lumen on the orb, and the planet springs with life and colors. The frown was replaced with a smile. Then the orbs spin faster, faster and faster until they're absorbed by a bright light. I remember this. I was in the front seat with Sam driving until all of a sudden John's panicking as a bright light blocks the orbs from view. And as history repeats itself, Rebecca steered us to safety on the sideline. Meredith closes her eyes, yelling in panic. Crayton stops behind us. Uh-oh.

The light dies down as Earth appears. As big as a basketball, a model Earth hovers a few feet in front of John. Crayton said that it was some kind of locator device, only activated if someone, preferably one of us, opened his or her Chest and held a Macrocosm. Rebecca and Meredith look back, and their eyes widen as they see a miniature Earth floating in the car. "What the hell is that?" asks Meredith, squinting at something on the face of Earth. John and I had to wait for a full rotation before we saw what she meant. A pulsing light glows not far from our location: Chicago, Illinois.


	8. Chapter 8: Six

**Chapter Eight**

**Six**

"_Nick! Nick, we have to go now!" _says a male voice, just as Marina's vibrated through the globe. Slowly, the voice began to fade. The model Earth starts to shrink and separate, leaving the original orbs in place. John deactivates them and puts them in his Chest. "We just heard Number Five's voice," John says, and starts explaining about the orbs being a locator device and Five in Chicago. When Rebecca heard about Five, she floored the accelerator, leaving Crayton in the dust. "If Five's in trouble in Chicago, we have to get there, immediately, before they decide to relocate," says Rebecca. She swerves in and out of lanes. John takes his phone out and sends a text. I stare at him in disbelief. Even when I was with Katarina, we never used phones. I was about to snatch the phone away from him when he caught me. "I had Crayton secure it for me. Don't worry," he says, and something in his voice tells me that he wasn't telling the entire truth.

"Why would you want to let Crayton secure your phone?" I ask. John looks away and doesn't answer. Great; first, he didn't tell me about his vision. Second, he didn't tell me about his phone. Is there anything else he hasn't talked about?

Rebecca stomps on the accelerator. Now, Crayton has caught up with us. His pickup truck matches our speed. We drove straight forward on the highway, ignoring the speed limit signs. Thankfully, no one minded us. After two straight hours we reach Chicago. We didn't stop and marvel at the city lights because Rebecca was really speeding from street to street until we reach a commotion. A building was on fire with black smoke billowing upwards. Firemen were going frantic trying to put it out. A crowd was steadily growing at the foot of the building. Crowds. John and I looked at each other. In crowds like this John would easily be found, being the world's most wanted person. We go around the crowd when I see them.

Two silhouettes are running from the scene, arms full of bags. A boy my age slings a few bags behind him and lets the man accompanying him lean on him. Rebecca stomps on the gas pedal and we lurch forward until the car parks on the sidewalks. Crayton stops behind us. Nine hops out and says, "Get in the car, now!" Nine rips the bags away from the boy's arms and help them get in the car. Crayton drives the pickup forward with us in tow. I can already imagine Crayton explaining to Five about us, and again, about Setrákus going to use me for his master plan. The thought itself makes my stomach churn uncomfortably. He leads us to a luxury hotel, the first grand hotel I've ever been to. John and I turn invisible while we follow the others inside. The lobby was lit with huge chandeliers. In the middle was a fountain with a statue of Eros, Cupid, at the top, the tip of his arrow spewing water. Plump velvet chairs are set on the west wall, with magazines spread out on a coffee table. The cold, stone floor was fifty percent covered in carpets. At the east wall, was the lobby's counter. Three women wearing the same blue uniforms sit behind the counter. A grand staircase leads up to the upper floor on either side of us. With the bright lights, I can see Five and his Cêpan clearly.

Five had shaggy black hair, which was styled to look like he just woke up. His eyes were as dark as his hair. He has a slightly angular face, so I figured he was the chic-boy type. He leans in on the counter and looks at the woman in front of him. If I focus my hearing, I hear the woman hyperventilate. Crayton passes Five a thick stash of green paper in exchange for keys. Five walks away and leads us to our room. We reach the door 15 on the second floor. When we went inside, I had to stifle a gasp. Two queen-sized beds line up the wall to my right. A dresser is lit up between to cabinets. Directly in front of me is a door that must be the bathroom. I turn visible but keep John's hand. Five casts a glance at me, then to our interlocked hands. Five's Cêpan was talking with Crayton. He pretty much looks like Five except that his eyes and hair were brown. Nine puts our things on the bed and uses the bathroom. Meredith hands a bottle of water to Marina, who looks like she's on the verge of fainting. I guess Five's Cêpan must be injured badly, having Marina tired like that.

Five hovers a few feet of the ground and says, "Hi, my name's Cole. That there's my Cêpan, Nick." He reaches for my hand, but I slap it away. John's grip on my hand tightens. "So, Cole, Five, whatever—what's your Legacies?" asks Marina, who was leaning on the bed rest, taking deep breaths.

"Well, as you can see, I can fly. I'm also a Convinco," he says, gliding towards Marina. John and I take a seat on the bed beside Marina's bed. "You're like Peter Pan," says Ella, who Cole was lifting up in the air by her hands. "What's a Convinco?" asks Meredith. "They're Loric who can convince anyone into anything, kind of like hypnotism. Cole, you forgot to mention your other Legacy," says Nick, who was deep in conversation with Crayton. "Oh, yeah, thanks Nick. I can read your minds," he says naughtily as he sets Ella down. Nine throws a pillow at Cole, which causes him to fall with a loud thud on the floor. "Shit," he says, standing up uneasily. I let go of John's hand and get our bags. In my bag, I rummage for a new set of clothes. "Cole, we had an agreement. You will not use your Legacies against any of us, unless you want to get beaten up by Six," says Nick, with a sideways wink at me. I smile a little and walk to the bathroom to change and take a shower.

When I walk out, I see Nine clutching Cole in a headlock with the others laughing hysterically. Meredith's hair was changing colors, bright blue, auburn, bubblegum pink, magenta and more. I can't help but laugh too. Nick and Crayton come over to separate Nine and Cole. When they can't, John and I help. I clutch Nine's arms and rip him away from Cole. I land with a thud on the floor. John helps me up. Cole massages his neck while cursing. Nine says he wants to go out for fresh air. Rebecca tells Meredith to follow, so that he won't "break anything valuable."

Marina heals the bruise on Cole's neck while Ella's playing with Bernie Kosar again. "I wish I can fly," Ella says. John stands up and opens his Chest. He takes the familiar pale yellow Xitharis, relocks his Chest and asks Cole to lend Ella his Legacy of Flight. Cole presses the Xitharis to his temple and the gem glows a more vibrant yellow. John uses his shirt to hand the stone to Ella without touching it. John explains to Ella how the Xitharis will make her fly. The second Ella's fingers close around the stone, she begins to levitate. She laughs with delight and zips around in the air with Bernie Kosar in a form of a black kite behind her. Marina's using one of Crayton's laptops. Still, the three Cêpans are deep in conversation. I didn't want to eavesdrop on them, just out of respect. Cole is rummaging for something in one of their luggage. John's watching Ella fly a few inches below the ceiling, his head on my lap. Cole kept casting a sideways glance at both of us. Nine and Meredith come back, holding hands. From the corner of my eye, I see Marina trying to stifle a laugh. John looks up at me, and smiles. Meredith's hair color was bright red, like her cheeks. She lets go of Nine's hand and uses the bathroom. Nine's own cheeks are red, but he tries to hide it as he scans John's laptop. Cole straightens up and says, "Here you go, Nick. The other Chest was in your clothes, old man."

"Other Chest?" says Marina. I got up so quickly no noticed me. I grab Cole by the shirt and slam him against the wall. My heart was pounding. The others are on their feet, some with their hands closed on a sedative. I ignored them and let my mind go blank. I raise him until his feet dangle and say, "The other Chest, where'd you get it?"

"I'm not talking—" he says, but I cut him off by slamming him against the wall harder. "Where did you get it?" I ask harshly, my mind racing against my will. Could it be? After all these years, could it be?

The others, even the Cêpans, did not make a move. Cole grunts when I slam him harder, but this time he answers. "In Arkansas, near the Mississippi River. We stayed there for a week and found it," he says and I let him fall on his ass with a thud. I walk to the Cêpans circle, and see a brittle looking box between them. As big as a microwave oven, just by looking at it I felt strength. "What the hell's your problem?" asks Cole. With lightning speed I use telekinesis to grab my favorite knife. I threw it at Cole, which hit him squarely on the sleeve of his shirt. The knife embeds itself hilt-deep on the wall with Cole's shirt. "Shut up," I growl at him. The blue thing in my eyes reappear. I stare at the Chest and hold it. Crayton makes a move to jam a needle in my arm, but when I look at him he steps back, like he's afraid of me. "The other things, the artifacts with this Chest, where are they?" I ask Nick.

"What are you—" starts Cole, but I cut him off with a gaze. He stops abruptly. Nick says, somewhat shakily, "We didn't find anything."

"She found it," John whispers. The others look at him quizzically, but I answer their question for them. "This Chest is mine."


	9. Chapter 9: Six

**Chapter Nine**

**Six**

Several eyes turned to stare at me with disbelief. They seem to have trouble understanding what I just said. To prove my declamation, I grasp the Chest's lock. My heart starts to pound uncomfortably. I have never opened this Chest before, even with Katarina alive. I shudder when the lock squirms against my grip. It turns to liquid, though I'm pretty sure it's still solid. The entire room holds its breath. Everyone was so silent the only thing I heard was my own blood pounding in my ears. I close my eyes in concentration and the lock clicks open. Marina gasps. I opened the Mystery Chest.

The others remained transfixed at me, but I see nothing remarkable at opening a Loric Chest. But still, I was half hoping it wasn't mine, because I wouldn't know what to do with it. "But how?" asks Nick in a hushed voice. I was too shocked myself to answer. "It's a long story," John says quietly. My entire body felt like it weighed a hundred pounds. My fist remains closed around the lock. _I'm not yet ready, _I conclude. I relock my Chest and walk to the door. But before I walk out, I free Cole, slipping the knife into the sleeve of my jacket. "I'll be at the rooftop if you need me," I say, then walk out, shutting the door behind me.

I run as fast as I can to the rooftop, so fast that I can't feel the ground under my feet. I reach a door labeled ROOF ACCESS. I burst outside, the howling wind whipping my hair. I leave the door ajar and run to the edge. I wasn't afraid of heights, not like most girls. In fact, I liked it. Being this high up in the air makes me feel invincible. One time when I was young, a girl dared me to stand at the edge of the school building. That afternoon, people were throwing bets loud enough for me to hear. When we reached the rooftop, I just simply stood on the edge. I even did a cartwheel. I shake my head and sit on the extreme edge of the building, swinging my legs over the edge. I think about Katarina, how she would feel at this moment, when I finally opened the Chest. I wasn't so sure if I wanted to open it or not. I look at the speedy cars below. That's how fast our time slips away, now that we have the Garde, we only have to find the Chimæra. But nothing is accomplished without bumps in the road. The Mogs must be going frantic, considering we're growing stronger. But at the same time, Sam slips farther from my grasp. A voice from behind me pulls me back to reality. "Aren't you afraid of falling?"

I smile weakly and turn around, standing up without fear. "I know you'll be there to catch me," I say, hopping down from the edge. John slips his hands in the pockets of his jacket. I sit with my back on the world below. John walks slowly to me. He sits beside me, his arm wrapped around my curves. I lean on his shoulder, his chin on the top of my head. His free hand plays with my fingers like a child. "John, are you—keeping secrets from me?" I stutter, but I couldn't help myself. Right now it's all I could think of for a conversation. Besides, I don't want to live being lied to. It just makes me wonder. John tenses beside me. I break his embrace, but hold his hand. "John?" I ask, cupping his cheek. He holds my hand there, then gently kisses my fingertips. He looks up, his blue eyes gray under the evening sky. "Yes, only because I'm afraid you'll set me on fire," he says. I perk up, resting my head on his lap. John plays with strands of my blond curls. "I won't bite if you tell me," I promised.

John smiles a little. He hesitates for a minute. Before he starts talking, I ask him a question. "You know, when I get angry or powerful for some reason, I see blue in my vision. Do you mind explaining that?"

John snorts and says, "That's an easy one. You're eyes were glowing." I look at him questioningly, then nod for him to continue. John heaves a sigh and says, "About the dream, I'm sorry I kept it from you. I was worried that you'd break down. Anyway, I saw Sam on a slab in a laboratory. They only put him to sleep. Then a Mog-nurse injects something in his arm and he wakes up. Setrákus was counting on us to appear before he tortures Sam."

"Okay, what else are you keeping?" I ask, trying hard not to break into tears. Setrákus was waiting for me to see the Sam that haunted my dreams. Bloody. Tortured. Brainwashed. Hijacked. John looks at me, carefully studying my face. Tears bite into my dry eyes. I blink them away and gesture for him to continue. Before he even opened his mouth, Cole bursts through the roof access door. "What do you want?" I ask bitterly, like the wind.

"You said we only have to bother you if we need you right? You have some major explaining to do," he says. I sit up, and with my mind I push Cole further through the door, away from John and me. "You should've seen it coming, Cole, with your mind-reading thing. You're supposed to be better than that," I hiss, obviously unimpressed at how Cole uses his Legacies. I slam the door shut at his face, and lock the door. I lean against John, who shivered whenever the wind picked up. I close my eyes in concentration and will the temperature to rise, warm enough for both of us. I look at John, his eyes transfixed on Lorien. "You were about to tell me something, what was it?" I ask. John looks at me in the eye, then leans in to kiss me softly. "It can wait till later. I'm starving," he says, lifting me up in his arms. Now that he mentions it, my stomach's grumbling too. I let him carry me all the way down the stairs. He sets me down before we enter the room. I turn the door knob and enter. The others were eating. Ella stands up and hands John the Xitharis, which was empty of juice. Cole was in the air as he licks his fingers. The Cêpans turn to look at me then nods for me to come over. John was busy spoon-feeding Ella in her toddler years. I walk over to them, in their midst is my Chest. "Six, you have to explain why you think this Chest is yours," says Rebecca calmly.

"You know the charm that protects the Chest better than anyone—isn't that proof enough?" I ask. I unlock my Chest, but I didn't remove the lid. As I said, I wasn't ready yet. Luckily, the Cêpans didn't push me. I relock my Chest, thinking about what Katarina's reaction would be. She had the idea to leave the Chest near the Mississippi. I guess she'd want me to open it, considering she hasn't either, even when she was alive. I remember begging her to open the Chest years ago, but she'd always say that "it isn't the right time" or "you haven't developed your first Legacy yet." Crayton puts a hand on my shoulder, like a father does to his daughter. "Six, I need you to tell us why your Chest was with Cole." I look at each of them, first to Crayton, the Rebecca, then Nick, who gives me an encouraging nod. I'm beginning to feel like a kid being confronted by my parents, like when Grams and Grandpa used to do when I broke one of Grams' valuable China tea cups. I sigh and answer their question, choosing my words carefully to avoid the tears. When I was finished, my stomach grumbled painfully. I asked for my share, which Rebecca handed me politely. "Leave us for a minute, Six," says Crayton. Ella was asleep on John's lap. Nine was watching Meredith closely, his eyes flitting away a millisecond before Meredith locks him with her gaze. Her cheeks were red, so was Nine's. Her hair was blood red, which kind of freaked me out a little. I never did like redheads. (No offense to Meredith.)

Marina's asleep on her side, her dark hair covering her face. Bernie Kosar was munching on a bone near John's feet. Cole was watching Marina, brushing away the strands of hair covering her flawless face. The Cêpans call lights out a few minutes later. Since each bed was big enough for three, Marina, Ella and Cole take up one bed while the Rebecca, Nick and Crayton take up the other. John and I share a sleeping bag on the floor beside Nine and Meredith, whose backs were against each other.

Ella mumbles something in her sleep, then shifts on their bed. Cole and Nine were snoring in harmony. Meredith shifts in their sleeping bag, and Nine wakes up slightly to find Meredith peacefully asleep on his broad chest. His head lulls back and he starts snoring again. John wasn't asleep yet, probably thinking about something—or someone. "John?" I whisper, propping myself up on my elbow. John looks at me, the light of the nightlight reflected in his eyes. "What's wrong?"

"I meant to tell you this earlier, but I saw Crayton talking to you, so I decided to wait," he says. I think about what he was about to say before Cole interrupted our moment of truth. "I asked Crayton to secure my phone because I had to…"

"Had to what?" I ask. Was he really talking to Sarah, after what they've been through in Ohio? Heck, after what we've been through! I mean, we had sex already and he's still thinking about that perky little bitch! John sighs, but I urge him to continue despite my anger of what's coming. His eyes scan my face, but let none of my anger rise up to the surface. John sighs, and just when my anger reaches boiling point, he whispers, "I dumped Sarah."


	10. Chapter 10: John

**Sorry for the late update (if it wasn't late for you, then I guess I have nothing to apologize for) I've been busy swimming-Yeah, I'm a swimmer-and, of course, sleeping :)  
**

**Chapter Ten**

**John**

Six looks at me, her face void of emotion. She's not guilty, nor was she angry. Great. That made it a whole lot worse. I avert my gaze at the ceiling. After a few minutes we remain silent, but I broke that silence by asking, "Why are you so silent? Aren't you guilty?"

"No I'm not. I knew it was coming. I mean, Katarina once told me that if we were to repopulate the planet, a human wouldn't be my first choice," she says sleepily. I look at her, her eyes half closed. I think about explaining why I broke up with Sarah, but Six was so sleepy I guess it could wait till tomorrow. I kiss her good night and close my eyes. I pull Six closer to me and fall asleep uneasily. The only problem was I had a premonition, and it wasn't about Sam.

I see Six with her hands raised in front of a dark and wide cave, so dark that it may not have an end. Her eyes are closed in concentration, beads of sweat lining her forehead. Behind her, Marina and the others are enclosed in a protective bubble, and I recognized Meredith's force field. Large boulders were falling from the cave roof. From the cave, I see Setrákus running towards Six, his staff raised, the pendants on his gruesome neck bouncing. The rocks seem to bounce off him, using the magic of his staff. Behind him thousands of Mogadorian soldiers were running, arms-full of firearms. Setrákus stares right at me, then smiles triumphantly. He raises his cane and a blast of energy erupts from it, directed toward Six—

"John! John, wake up!" Six says, her hands on my cheeks, wiping the sweat from my forehead. The others were awake, their eyes wide and shocked. My head was no longer on a sleeping bag, but was rested on Ella's lap. The Cêpans were gathered around me, and so were my fellow Garde. Six's blue eyes were full of concern. I look at all of them and ask for a drink of water, my voice rusty. Marina hands me a bottle. I take a few sips, and while I do, Cole asks, "What happened? Did he have a bad dream or something?"

"He has the Legacy of Precognition, otherwise known as 'future-seeing'. He only sees visions when he's asleep," Six says, then later adds, "What did you see?"

The words that came out of her mouth echoed in my empty brain. The scene in front of me was slightly moving in and out of focus. Before I get to answer Six's question, I fainted. I hear Six's panicked voice, but it was very distant, like I fell in an echoing pit sixty feet below. Somewhere in my unconscious self a thought forms. Setrákus is going to kill Six.

* * *

I wake up with Six's head rested on my abdomen, her blond hair a rat's nest. I assumed she was watching over me when sleep engulfed her. I wasn't on the floor anymore. I was on the bed Ella had occupied. She was still asleep beside me, snoring softly. The others were already awake. Ever so gently I lift Six up with telekinesis. I hop off the bed and lay her down beside Ella, then pull the blanket up to her shoulders. I give Six a quick peck on the forehead then went to use the bathroom. When I come out, Cole was flying upside down in front of me. "Who's Sarah, Johnny?" he asks. Nine perks up then smirks. I should've known; Nine eavesdropped again then told Cole.

"Not now," I say angrily, waving Cole aside with telekinesis than walking casually to my bag, where I get my clothes. When I put on a gray tee, Nine repeats Cole's question in bad imitation of his voice. "What is your damned problem?" I ask as a ball of flame as big as a baseball ignited on each of my palms, resulting in my anger. "You will not use your Legacies against each other," says Nick, who was drinking from a mug beside Rebecca and Crayton. "Then just answer the question!" yell Cole in frustration, still up in the air, leaning backward with his hands behind his head in a relaxed gesture. I can't let them tease me like this. I hate being teased. "Sarah was my human girlfriend. Dumped her officially about a week ago. Happy now?" I snap.

Cole and Nine burst out laughing. The flames in my hands reappear, but when I closed my fist as tight as I dare, the flame dies. "You're such a softie, aren't you Johnny boy!" says Cole between fits of laughter, clutching his stomach and writhing in the air. Nine stopped laughing, and by the glassy look in his eyes he seems to be remembering something. He shakes the thought away then uses the bathroom. I'm beginning to think that I wasn't the only one with a human love interest.

Six and Ella wake up due to Cole's laughter. Ella buries her face under her pillow, covers herself under the sheet then moans, "Make him stop! Make him stop!" Six however, was more aggressive. A blast of wind came from nowhere, causing Cole to fall on the floor. "Asshole," she mutters while rubbing her eyes. "Where's Marina and Meredith?" she asks.

"They're outside, in the dining room on the third floor," says Crayton. He was scanning his two laptops while Rebecca and Nick engage in a conversation. I try not to eavesdrop, as tempting as it could be. At that moment, Marina and Meredith burst through the door, holding trays. On the trays our delicious breakfast waits—Marina's famous pancakes. Ella comes out from under the sheets and practically inhales the pancake on her plate. Meredith hands the plates around. When she hands Nine his share, her hair and cheeks become intense red, like ripe apples. Six and I sit side-by-side on the floor. The pancakes were good, no kidding. In a matter of minutes we were all full. Nine belches loudly. Ella giggles then drinks a cup of water. "We have to get a move on. Before you pack, John, I would like you to discuss about your dream," says Crayton. Here we go again. I tense when all eyes turn on me. "I dreamt about Six," was all I say, and by the tone of my voice they didn't push me. Even Cole didn't laugh. The hand interlocked with mine gives me a gentle squeeze. We pack up, leaving the first grand luxury we have ever attended. With one last touch of the smooth, velvet blankets, I walk out invisibly with Six. We follow the others ahead of us. Bernie Kosar was walking on a leash held by Ella with a doggy frown on his face. _I hate walking with a leash, _I hear him say. I stifle a laugh and walk out of the hotel.

Nick, Rebecca, Cole, Meredith and Nine hop in the SUV and put our—Six's and mine—things in the trunk. The rest of us enter the pickup truck. Crayton and Marina load their things in the back then starts the engine. Ella walks to the front, tilts the seat and takes a nap. "John, can you kindly search for the app 'Locator' in your phone," says Crayton. I do as I say, then open the app. I wait for further instructions. "The two blue dots are us," Crayton explains, "The red ones are Mogs. The white ones are the Chimæras. The bigger the dot, the more Mogs or Chimæras there are."

"Cool," says Six, her head on my shoulder. Right now I see the American continent. The thickest red dot is in Virginia, where the Head Quarters are. Dust specs of red are everywhere, but none are near us. I also see white dots, meaning Chimæras. Crayton wasn't kidding that he hid them all over the state. The thickest is in Minnesota, where Linda and Jake are, according to Ella. I zoom in on Minnesota, and the dot becomes smaller but its location was more detailed. Marina slightly snores with her head on the window. Six was watching me scan my phone. I exit the app and rest my cheek on Six's head, burying my nose in her hair, which smelled of something like candy. Crayton looks at us in the rearview mirror, but his eyes weren't directed on me. They were squinting on my pendant, which hung in plain view. Six was playing with it, twisting the chain then releasing it, over and over again. "When did your pendants transform?" asks Crayton.

"You know about this?" asks Six, holding my pendant up for Crayton to see in the rearview mirror. His eyes widen. He stops the car on the side of the road and tugs on the pendant, twirling it on his fingers. He repeats his question, a little more shocked this time. "About a week ago, when we stayed at the vacation house. We…sort of made out," I say nervously, my cheeks heating up, like Six's. "This is a powerful thing," says Crayton.

"What is?" I ask.

"You love each other. Has your Cêpans told you about the other gift Lorien gave to us?" he asks. Six and I nod but Crayton explains anyway. "When a Loric loves another Loric, it's either for life or temporary. For me, I mated with my wife for life. It's kind of like imprinting, the one in…what's it called—Twilight Saga? The gift Lorien has given us is to love completely, without jealousy, without anger. That's why when we love, and it's him or her, it's forever. The transformation of your pendants confirms it now."

"Confirms what?" I ask. I really am an idiot, like Six says. God, I'm slow at understanding.

"We've mated," I hear Six whisper. I remember what Henri had said about Six, which seemed like a lifetime ago. _Though I don't know her number, or any idea where she is, one of the children who came her to Earth with us was the daughter of your parents' best friends. They used to joke that it was fate that the two of you would end up together. _Henri's and Crayton's words fit together like a puzzle in my head. Six. Me. Forever.


	11. Chapter 11: Six

**Chapter Eleven**

**Six**

Crayton starts driving again with the black SUV in our wake. I still can't shake the fact that John will be mine forever, given that we survive the war. While Crayton was explaining, part of me knew what was coming. When John asked Crayton what he meant, it took all my willpower not to smack him in the head. _Idiot, _I think. What would John be without me?

John was asleep with his forehead glued to the window, smiling smugly. I roll my eyes at his sleeping, babyish face then rest my head on his shoulder. He pulls me closer to him, his right hand resting on my thigh. I wanted to sleep, but something else has been bothering me; John's dream. He had a premonition about me, where…I don't know. Did something bad happen to me? Did Setrákus succeed in blackmailing me? Were the others hurt? Unanswerable questions make my mind race. Ella sneezes awake from the front. She looks back at me, her round eyes looking at me—curiously?

"Can I borrow Four's phone?" she asks, her sweet, tender voice like music in my ears. Since Ella's just eleven, she's like a little sister I never had. Very carefully, I slip the phone out of John's hand and give it to Ella. She starts playing Temple Run. Marina was also awake, eating chips. Ella groans angrily from the front. I'm guessing the guy in the game just fell into his death. I smile then take an uneasy nap.

* * *

I only wake up when I feel the car halt to a stop. I realize how sleepy I have been. Well, I had to watch over John, because I was worried about him. I pity him for seeing premonitions that haunted him, which was like my nightmares. I hear the purr of the engine die. The doors of the pickup truck open squeakily. I open my eyes and see John smiling down at me. He waits for the others to get out of the car before he kisses me full on the lips. We walk out with our hands locked. We were in a clearing, which must've been a camping spot for someone because there are holes on the ground, where the tent's pegs were. We didn't bother removing our luggage from the cars, just in case we were to leave at moment's notice. John opens the app Crayton had installed. There were no red dots around, but there is a white one not far from our clearing. "Crayton, there's a Chimæra in the woods," John says, and then shows him his phone. Crayton nods and says, "Well, that's a start. Take Bernie and Nine with you. Search the woods."The three of them left the clearing. John looks back for a minute, and then follows Nine in pursuit. "What do we do now?" asks Ella, bored. "We train," says Nick. Marina was shooting at random trees in the distance, and even though the trees were close together, I see her arrows hit every tree bark. I start stretching, a little too eager for training. Meredith was sparring with Cole. I sigh. I haven't had hand-to-hand combat since I beat up Nine in the woods, where we were almost captured.

I wait for John to come back. He was always easy to beat, and I don't know if he's being a gentleman or he really isn't good enough to challenge my skill. I never needed to break a sweat when I was sparring with him. "Six, who's Sarah?" asks Cole, wiping the sweat off his forehead. The name itself sends anger coursing through my veins. It was her fault we got captured by the FBI, according to John. It was also her fault John and Sam didn't come back to help when I nearly got overwhelmed by the sheer number of Mogs at Sam's place. I feel my power growing, and the temptation to hit Cole for saying her name is overwhelming. I held my ground because I fear that I might rip him to bits. "I'm just messing with you," he says sheepishly, drinking a big gulp of water. I begin practicing with Meredith first. She was easier to beat than John. She does a roundhouse which I counter, grabbing her foot then using her momentum to lift her over me easily. She falls on her back on the ground near my feet. "She ain't good enough to beat me," boasts Cole, loud enough for even me to hear. Meredith and I continue practicing, sending jabs and punches that cover her body with light bruises. John and Nine enter the clearing, with Bernie Kosar and a wolf trailing behind them. As the wolf jogs over to the clearing, it transforms into a Golden Retriever then plays with Bernie Kosar. "I heard that—I know full well how strong Six is. You can't beat her, even Nine couldn't" says John.

"Thanks for saying that," Nine grumbles.

Meredith walks over to Marina, who washes the bruises away with her Legacy. "I asked her about Sarah. I thought she didn't know about her," Cole says, but his sentence wasn't finished by my knife. I had purposely thrown the knife at him, which would've hit him in the chest if it weren't for the asshole's telekinesis. Seriously, Cole is getting on my nerves.

"What the hell is wrong with you, you stuck-up bitch!" he yells, the hurls the knife back at me. I deflected it easily. I feel myself flush with rage. No one—and I mean no one—is allowed to call me a "stuck-up bitch". The last time someone called me that was exactly a year before I found John in Ohio. I was using the only computer vacant in a café when all of a sudden I hear someone yelling at my back. It was a teenage boy about my height, but with a stocky build. He was yelling at me, but I managed to ignore him until he called me a stuck-up bitch. I stood up from the chair, grabbed hold of the boy's shirt and hurled him to the computer. Even with my petite figure the others in the café were shocked at my strength. After that I simply walked out the café without bothering to pay for the damage. "He crossed the line," John whispers, bringing me back to my senses. The others were around us now, watching eagerly.

"I bet you ten bucks Six is going to kick Cole's ass," Meredith says to Nine.

"Crayton, you have to stop her. She's going to loose it," begs John.

"Shut up, Four!" says Meredith and Nine at the same time, resulting in them blushing like there's no tomorrow.

"You're going to wish you were never born," I say angrily. Survival of the species or not, I am going to kill Cole.

"Bring it on," he says. He dares challenge me? Fine.

We move in the inner center of the clearing. Cole starts by tackling me, which I block. He gets up on his feet the runs to me, his fist clenched. With a move I saw in the movies, I jump at him and snake around his body. My foot met his face with force. I throw him on the ground, and see a dark bluish bruise on the corner of his mouth. When I thought he was about to give up, he aims a punch at me, directed to my nose. I grab his fist, twist his arm and pull him to the forest floor with my legs clamped tight on his throat. One more twist and I can kill this nasty son of a bitch. Cole was choking, and then his lips turn blue. He will die of asphyxiation anyway. At least he'll pay for what he's done. I feel strong arms wrapping around my waist and yanking me away from the boy who was mine to kill, Loric or not. "Let go of me! He deserves it!" I say, writhing and strangling against my restrainer. "Six, calm down," John whispers in my ear. I do as he says, watching Cole spit blood from his mouth. Marina rushes over to him, places her hands on his face and heals the wound. John leads me away from the clearing and into the forest beyond. He walks far enough until he's sure we're out of Nine's earshot. "Why'd you do that, Six? He's one of us! He's not a Mogadorian!" says John. Great, our first lover's quarrel.

"He called me—"I say, my voice rising in anger as well.

"I know, and it was stupid of him. But Six, you could've really killed him," John says, his voice deadly calm, but the hardness in his eyes tell me otherwise. "I know. I should apologize. It's just…I think I lost control," I say, burying my face in John's chest. I didn't cry however, I did feel bad about hurting Cole, no matter how much of a bastard he seems to be. We walk through the forest holding hands, listening to the birds sing in the trees above. After twenty minutes we see another clearing ahead. The grass here was ankle-high, and in the middle of the field is a big tree with low branches. It pretty much looks like a giant broccoli on the ground. "Race you there!" I say, running at full speed to the tree a few meters away. "No fair!" John yells behind me. I reached the tree first and stumble to the ground when John bumps me on purpose. In mid-fall I turn so I land on top of him. We were laughing, despite the argument thirty minutes ago. John puts the curtain of blond curls behind my ear and caresses my face with his finger tips. I feel my cheeks heat up and kiss him lightly on the lips. I feel his hands on the small of my back. Once again, I lose myself in peacefulness with John in the middle of the war. I just want to spend every minute of my life with John before we fight the war on our hands, feel his touch against my skin, feel the warmth of his closeness, and his lips, the lips that fit perfectly with mine. He pulls away slightly and says, "I like this, here in this clearing with you in the middle of a war."

"Me too. After the war, after everything else is done, what do you want to do?" I ask, resting my head over his chest, where my heart is locked with his. "I don't know," he says, blushing and if possible, he went redder, "Have kids..." He leans in to kiss me, ducking his head towards mine. I pull away slowly and notice that it's getting dark. "The others will be looking for us. Come on, it's getting pretty late," I say, standing up. We race each other again, but this time he wins. I pass Cole with Marina under a tree and walk over to them. When he sees me he says, "I'm sorry for calling you a…never mind. I'm sorry for being a jerk."

"I'm sorry for nearly killing you," I say, and then we shake hands. I walk away and go to John, who was watching Ella play Temple Run again. The three Cêpans sit huddled together near the cars. "Where are Nine and Meredith?" I ask.

"They were hunting, you know, like you did," Ella says, her eyes never leaving the screen. I remember how Nine looks at Meredith, how their cheeks turn red whenever they meet each other's eyes. Something tells me that they've hunted together for another reason. Nine and Meredith appear on the edge of the clearing, with some kind of fish floating behind them. The pendants hidden in their clothes were beginning to glow. Meredith freaks out, the fish behind her dropping on the floor. The light fades a second later. John and I look at each other. Seems like we're not the only ones who were mated.


	12. Chapter 12: John

**Chapter Twelve**

**John**

Nine clutches his pendant, and his eyes got wide. Meredith casts a glance on her Cêpan desperately yearning for an explanation, and Rebecca steps forward. Meredith encloses Nine and Rebecca in her force field, which was strong enough to block their conversation from our ears and Cole's mind reading. We see Rebecca's mouth move through the invisible shield. As the conversation goes on, Meredith's and Nine's cheeks become red.

"What was that about?" asks Cole, flying in the air near the force field like a vulture circling its prey. I look at Six and a silent understanding passes between us. I shrug my shoulders at Cole. "Six, why don't you break her force field?" says Cole menacingly, accidently touching the force field with his finger. There was a subtle zapping sound and Cole yanks his hand back, cursing.

Six snorts, "Yeah, and how are you going to make me?"

"I'm a Convinco, remember?" Cole says annoyingly. He stares at Six right in the eyes. I'm getting suddenly uncomfortable, the way Cole looks at her. Only I can do that. Her grip on my hand loosens. Six's eyes become confused, then glassy for about two seconds before she blows Cole off course, breaking the trance. "You want another near-death experience?" Six snarls in anger. Cole floats above us, twenty feet in the air. Six stands up then raises her hands and the wind picks up, making me shiver involuntarily. A swirling vortex takes form on top of her, with Cole spinning uncontrollably in it. "I wasn't asking for one!" yells Cole, the tip of the swirling wind dancing on her finger tips. "Six, that is enough!" yells Crayton over the howling wind. Ella was crouching behind Marina, whose hair was a rat's nest. Six reluctantly releases Cole from the vortex, the hurricane shrinking to the size of her pinkie before disappearing. Cole falls into a deadly dive, but he just regained his balance when he was five feet from the ground, his shaggy black hair tousled.

Meredith finally releases Rebecca and Nine from the force field. After walking a few steps, Meredith collapses, from either hearing the news that she's bonded with Nine or the force field really got her tired. Nine catches her before she falls flat on the ground. With telekinesis, Nine pulls out a sleeping bag from the pickup truck then slips Meredith in it. After that he lets her head rest on his chest. We sit huddled by the simple camp fire I had created, and with Six's help, the smoke doesn't rise up and giving away our position. Six sits beside me, and I pray she won't notice my body shivering from the night air. Unfortunately, she did. She closes her eyes in concentration and lowers the temperature of the night air, turning it into a warm summer breeze. "I love the way you do that," I say dreamily, wrapping my arm tighter around her thin waist and burying my face in her blond curls. I can feel her roll her eyes as I breathe in the smell of her hair. By the time Marina and Ella were done preparing the fish for cooking I was starving. But then, I had to wait for another fifteen minutes for the fish to cook.

Meredith wakes up from the smell of the cooking fish, and from the corner of my eye, I see her and Nine share a steamy kiss. Cole and Marina were snickering from across us as they cook the fish. Ella looks at them curiously, and then she stands up, Elizabeth and Bernie in her wake. The three Cêpans sit together on our right. Ella sits beside me with Elizabeth's head on her lap. I wrap my other arm around Ella. Bernie Kosar was watching Elizabeth on Ella's lap, his tongue dangling from his mouth. _I like her, _he says in my head. Elizabeth's head snaps up when Bernie said it. The two dogs look at each other then Elizabeth rests her head on Ella's lap again. Bernie Kosar transforms himself into a Golden Retriever then lies down beside Elizabeth. For Chimæras, they pretty much act like us. Like humans.

Nine and Meredith sit across from Crayton, Rebecca and Nick, who were silent, unlike their usual conversation. Cole helps Marina serve us the fish. We had to eat with bare hands, which were difficult for the others because it was still hot, and no one wants a cold supper. Ella winces when the flesh of the fish makes contact with her skin. "Here," I hold her fish for her, and with my heat proofed hands, I hardly felt anything. "Thanks, Four," she says as I feed her chunks of meat. Six looks at me curiously, then she resumes eating her fish. An occasional pop of the firewood fills the air with sparks that blink out after a few seconds. After everyone was done, we gave our leftovers to the Chimæras. We wash our hands with the only water supply we have left. We're just going to buy some more tomorrow. Six and I sleep in a sleeping bag, same with Meredith and Nine, Marina and Cole and Crayton and Ella. Nick and Rebecca take first watch. They have my phone with them, checking every once in a while for red dots. I look up at the stars, which were glowing brightly above. I wonder if Henri's watching me from the world above, along with the others, with my parents, maybe. I sigh in content and feel Six look up at me. "You know, you're like a brother to Ella, feeding her the fish like she's really your sister," she whispers.

"Well, we don't always have sisters, and I'm no good being a big brother because I was never one. So, I guess I was just trying to help out," I say, lightly kissing her forehead. She tucks her head under my chin and listens to my heartbeat. "John, be honest with me; why'd you dump her—besides assuming she gave you out?" Six asks. I try to think of the proper words to say why I ditched Sarah without getting Six guilty. Well, I know she says she wasn't, but part of me thinks she's lying. And really, my mind isn't a dictionary.

I look at her piercing blue eyes and cup her cheek with my hand. "You," was all I said before I lean in and kiss her goodnight. She returns the kiss, and then turns her back on me, resting her head on my arm like a pillow. I pull her closer to me, my arm wrapped around her waist. Her back is pressed against my chest. Her blond curls were so close to my nose I can smell her shampoo. I raise my head slowly, and then kiss her cheek before sinking deeper into oblivion.

* * *

Nick and Rebecca wake Six and me up for second watch four hours later. They hand me my phone back before sharing the sleeping bag. Six and I sit on the grass and lean our backs against the front doors of the SUV. If my eyes weren't tricking me, I see Nine's lips glued to Meredith's.

Ella whispers, "Apple pie," in her sleep before she shifts to a more comfortable position. Six was right. I did feel like a brother to Ella. I mean, who wouldn't love a little girl like that anyway? She's sweet and she's kind, a sister anyone would want to have, though not all receive. Six rests her head on my lap as she scans the area with my phone. I run my fingers absentmindedly through her hair, staring at her beautiful face with the light from my iPhone. She catches me gazing at her and instantly her cheeks turn pink. She sits up while I put my phone in the back pocket of my jeans. Six was wearing the same yoga pants she wore when I took her out for a midnight stroll through the streets of the town where we nearly kissed. I kiss her softly on the lips, and feel her hands knot themselves in my hair. My hands slide to the small of her back as she pushes me flat on my back. She pulls away, smiling. "We're on watch remember?"

"Yeah, I do," I say before she hauls me up to my feet. I check my phone and feel my eyes widen with panic as four red dots close in on us from the north, south, east and west. "Oh, shit," I say, waking up the others. "We can't leave now or we'll leave a trail. We might as well fight them here rather than in the city," says Six in a matter-of-factly tone. I stare at her. One moment she was all soft and happy then the next she's cold and indestructible. Crayton fill us in on our weapons, especially to Ella. He keeps her close to him as he aims the guns in his hand to the trees and anything beyond that. We form a circle with our backs on each other. Elizabeth and Bernie start growing to the size of an eighteen wheeler with thick oblong scales overlapping on their body like armor. Marina has her bow already aimed, an arrow in it. "Meredith, keep Ella and the Cêpans in your force field. Surround the cars. Fight from the inside. Is your shield impenetrable from the inside?" Six asks.

"No."

"Then fire from inside."

Ella, Nick, Rebecca, Crayton and Meredith are instantly enveloped in a bubble of energy along with our cars. I slip my dagger out the waistband of my jeans. I've been keeping it close lately, due to Six's insistence. "Marina, get inside the force field. You may be a good archer but you're going to need distance from yourself and the Mogadorians," Six orders, her brow furrowing. A hole opens near on the force field near Marina as she enters it. Nine has his spear out while Cole was carrying two rifle-looking guns in each of his arms. Behind him four more pistols are tucked in the waistband of his jeans. We wait for them to come. Six swallows hard and clears her throat. "If the situation gets out of hand, leave immediately. Remember, it's me they want," she says, mostly to me. It took a few seconds for realization to grip me. Six was willing to sacrifice herself for us. For me. But I won't let that happen. I will never leave her. I will always protect her. In fact, that's my dying wish. Protect Six. That's how much I love her.


	13. Chapter 13: John

**Chapter Thirteen**

**John**

We wait for the Mogadorians to appear, my heart thundering. I still couldn't get a grip on what Six had said. She was willing to die instead of being a pawn on Setrákus' chess board. Does she know what the effects will mean? I'll be broken. My heart shattered a million pieces on the floor in front of me. I'll never be the same again if she dies. I won't allow that. Seeing Six in pain and dying is on a list with things I never want to see and experience. "Cole, attack from above," Six orders, her voice in cracks but she remains strong. Cole flies above and yells, "They're closing in! Get ready!"

I produce a ball of flame on the palm of my hand. The clouds above were swirling into a hurricane, obscuring the stars above. The blurred shape of a face appears in the clouds. "When the face awakens, I want all of you to run in the force field," Six says, her eyes directed to the sky. A brilliant fork of lightning lights up the sky. The wind starts picking up. Six looks at me and says, "Keep them away from me." A memory resurfaces in my brain, but I set the thought aside when a horde of Mogs emerge from the trees. The leader, a burly Mogadorian soldier, eyes Six like she was a price he was willing to die for. I step protectively in front of her. Their leader yells a battle cry in Mogadorian then charges. The first row of Mogadorians were taken down by Marina's arrows, which she retrieved by telekinesis. Meredith can let anything she wants in her force field so that the arrows fly back to Marina's sheath. Cole was shooting at random above. The face was taking form already—eyes, then nose, then the ears. Gunshots and an occasional zip of an arrow fill the air. The leader was charging straight at Six. I have to keep them at bay while Six prepares her wrath. I hurl him to the nearest tree. I swing my dagger left and right, slicing through two to three Mogs at a time. Nine waves his spear in front of him and six Mogadorians fall and dissolve to ash. The Chimæras were battling three pikens taller and stronger than them. I would occasionally throw a ball of flame at Mogs that got close to Six. A piken falls dead on its side then explodes to ash near Elizabeth's clawed feet. The face's mouth was already fully developed, opening wide like a yawn. I'm guessing we only have a few seconds until the face unleashes Six's wrath. Nine took a butt of a Mogadorian gun to the face. His nose was bleeding heavily.

Cole chucks the useless gun at a Mogadorian's head with his combined strength and telekinesis. The Mog explodes. I kept slashing with my dagger until a knife grazes my shoulder. Blinding pain spreads from there to my entire body, which was agonizing, but I can't stagger to my death. I have to protect Six. I thrust my dagger in the Mogadorian's chest and pull downward while he explodes to ash. "John!" Six yells and I look up. The face of wrath was now complete. "Cole, Nine! Come on!" I yell, communicating with Bernie Kosar and Elizabeth, telling them to enter the force field. Their leader growls a guttural cry then lunges at Six, a pulsing blood red sword in front of him. Before I can act, I see Nick in front of Six, with the sword in his chest. The tip of the sword hit's Six's thigh. She groans, but she kept her concentration intact. "No!" Cole yells, but Nine and Marina hold him back. They were already in the force field. Nick falls dead on his side near Six's feet. The Mogadorian removes his sword from Nick's chest and raises it above his head. I feel an invisible force pull me into the force field, leaving Six defenseless. "No! He's going to kill her! I have to save her!" I yell.

"Look," Ella says in awe. Six's form was emitting a bluish light. The face in the clouds was awake. Lightning touches the ground, where the remaining two pikens were. Six was in the eye of the storm. Trees were uprooted by the gale winds and were hitting Mogadorians randomly. A swirling gray haze surrounds the clearing, sweeping Mogadorians of their feet. More lightning strike and ashes are carried by the wind. A tree trunk hits Meredith's force field, making the protective bubble flicker. The tree that hit it simply bounces off of the bubble. Meredith's eyes were closed in concentration. Marina was busy healing the others while Cole mourns at the death of his Cêpan. The leader hits the force field for about two seconds before exploding to ash. Six's arms fall to her side and the storm dies. Trees lay on their sides on the ground. Nick's body moved a few feet on Six's right. Speaking of Six, she sinks to her knees, then collapses, her hand clutching the sword wound on her thigh. Cole runs over to Nick. "Nick! Nick, wake up, come on, man, wake up!" says Cole, trying to shake Nick awake. Marina puts an arm around Cole's shoulders, like when Sarah did when Henri died in my arms. "Heal him, Marina!" Cole begs.

"I'm so sorry, but he's gone. There's nothing we can do," says Marina, her eyes full of tears. Meredith sobs on Nine's chest. I reach Six and her eyes were half closed. She was groaning from the effects of the sword. "Marina, I need help here!" She rushes over to us, the tears making her eyes puffy. Six was whining. The pain must be so intense. The cut on my shoulder was healed by Marina while Six was unleashing the storm. Marina places her shaky hands on Six's thigh. Her eyes open as she takes a deep breath. When Marina was satisfied, she went back to Cole, rubbing his back as he sobbed over his Cêpan. Six cries instantly, her body pressed tightly against mine. We gather around our fallen friend. Blood was oozing from the gaping hole on Nick's chest. Ella was hugging Crayton's waist, tears streaming down her cheeks. Meredith's face was buried in Nine's shirt. "What would you like to do?" Rebecca asks. I know that question. Six asked me the same when Henri died, and she offered to cremate him. Until now I have Henri's ashes, locked away in my Chest with his last letter, safely hidden. "I want to bury him, somewhere nice and peaceful," whispers Cole, clutching Nick's body, dreading the time he has to let go.

"I know where," says Six, offering Cole our place under the tree that looks like broccoli, where we were happy. Cole gently slips the sleeves of his jacket through Nick's arms, and then closes it up to his chest. He gently carries Nick as we wade through the forest.

Six opens up a hole six feet deep nicely. With telekinesis, we lower Nick into his final resting place. We arrange his arms, crossing them over his abdomen in a peaceful sleeping gesture. After saying very few words, the earth swallows up Nick, sending him back home one Lorien. "Can you—put a mark—somewhere? I'm going back here when I avenge him," whispers Cole. Six nods and aims her palm at the trunk of the tree. There, on the middle of a tree bark, Cole's symbol forms, etched deeply in the bark. We say our last good-bye and leave Cole there while we pack up. He comes back a few minutes later, his eyes red from the tears. He hops in the SUV and waits for us to join him. Six and I sit together in the back seat with Cole near the window. Marina's in front with Rebecca. Nine, Meredith, Ella and Crayton go in the pickup truck and drive through the forest road, swerving in and out of trees. I slump on my seat, cradling Six in my arms. We pull on to an avenue and Crayton drives forward, stopping at a convenience store to buy cracker and water and other stuff like that. As we leave the store, I offer a silent thank you to Nick for saving Six. I hope he's found his wife, or maybe his children, back home. I let my head rest on Six's head and drift off to sleep.


	14. Chapter 14: Six

**Chapter Fourteen**

**Six**

It was my fault Nick died. Now I sit beside John soaked wet from the fresh wave of guilt I felt since the last ten minutes. Every time I attempt to close my eyes, I was haunted by another scene. I see the pulsing red sword protruding from Nick's back, and the pain on my right thigh so agonizing I nearly blacked out. Then I see Nick dead on the ground near my feet. He had said something to me, his last words before the little flame of life inside him died out. "Tell Cole that I'm sorry," he breathed, before his eyes closed to rest eternally. The Mog ripped the sword out of Nick and attempted to kill me. But seeing a friend I wasn't even close to die for me was like fuel in my veins. The face awoke, and when I'm sure every damned Mog died, I blacked out.

John was asleep with his cheek on my head. Cole was looking out the window, his face a hard mask with puffy eyes. I should talk to him later. My head was still spinning, and my entire body felt like led from the power of that sword. John shifts beside me. "What's wrong?" he asks, his arm wrapped tightly around my waist. I'm so close to him I'm practically on his lap. He must have felt me tense. I look up at him and smile a little; there was drool on the corner of his mouth. "What?" he asks again. I pointed to the corner of his mouth. He wipes the drool away, and then blushes furiously as he wipes his hand on his ash-coated jeans. I lean my head on the window, where scratches were appearing from the outside. It had started to rain. John slouches on his seat and leans on my shoulder, his mouth hanging open slightly. I close it with telekinesis, interlocking my hand with his, fearing that he might soak me wet with his drool. My eyelids were getting heavier, from the lack of sleep or the heaviness from the dagger, I don't know. I sigh in defeat and close my eyes.

* * *

When I wake up again, I thought I was alone in the SUV. I feel John's jacket wrapped around me. I sit up, wildly looking around for the others. I see Marina in the front, her seat tilted, sleeping soundly. We must've arrived in Minnesota. Bernie Kosar and Elizabeth were sniffing the air for something. John was saying something to Crayton, pointing to his phone then to the thick clump of trees in front of us. Elizabeth starts to howl, changing in her wolf form with Bernie behind her, charging into the trees. "Nine! Come on!" yells John, running with inhuman speed through the forest after the two Chimæras with Nine in tow. I risk a glance at Cole, who was sulking in the corner. It's now or never, I guess.

"Cole? Are you awake?" I ask softly. Cole looks at me, his eyes red from the tears. "What? Cause if you're going to cry your eyes out in front of me saying sorry, then save your breath—it wasn't your fault," he says, but the anger in his voice says otherwise.

"That's not what I was supposed say."

"Then what?" he snaps.

"Nick said something to me before he died. He said that he was sorry, for leaving you. He said that you have to be brave, for him," I say, adding the last part in attempt to lift his spirits up. Frankly, it did. Cole smiles a little, and then says, "You know, for an indestructible badass, you're kind of soft."

"Well, I'm not made of stone you know. I'm still very much capable of having feelings," I say. He smiles at the thought, then whispers, "Thanks, Six, for telling me that. I just hope he's happy somewhere, maybe back home with his family and friends." He leans his head on the window then closes his eyes. I look back outside, where Crayton waits for John and Nine to come back. There was a howl from beyond the tree line and Elizabeth comes out, changing back to her Golden Retriever from. Ella exits the car from the front and waits, jumping up and down excitedly. From the woods comes out John, Nine and Bernie Kosar, followed by a pair of two grizzly bears and three bear cubs. So that's why the white dot was big. Linda and Jake had a family.

The Chimæra family transforms into a family of spotty Dalmatians. How are we going to fit all of them in two cars? If they were twenty of them, maybe more according to Crayton, how can they all fit?

John sees that I'm awake and smiles from the outside. I grin back. "Where are we going to put them?" Nine asks, rubbing a Dalmatian who I think is Jake behind the ear. "We're going to have to buy a van…there are still others you know," Crayton concludes. Ella was happily playing with the pups, who were barking around and licking her in the cheeks. After that the family went inside the pickup truck before Nine. Ella hops in while John walks over to the SUV with Rebecca in tow. Funny, I didn't see her in the clearing.

"So, Sleepyhead Six is finally awake," teases John, closing the door behind him. I punch him on the arm, and he feigns pain, massaging the part where I playfully punched him. Again, there was a hint of saliva in the corner of his mouth. I wipe it away with my finger and smile from the sight of John's cherry red cheeks. I give him a quick peck on the lips, wrapping his jacket tighter around me. He kisses my hair gently, and then his lips move to the side of face. I feel my cheeks heat up steadily. We pull over into a parking lot for the night. Apparently, we were the only ones here. It was a small motel with two floors, pretty much like every motel we've been to. This place was no different.

Crayton hops out with his shoulders slumped. The clock on the dashboard read 2:30 in the morning. In fact, I still feel tired from bringing on a storm like that. I let John carry me all the way to the inn while the others lazily drag themselves off the car and into our room. Or, rather, rooms actually.

"Since we're the only ones here, I decided that we each deserve a room. Rebecca, Ella and I will be in one, and you pair among yourselves. Oh, and the Chimæras will be with us so you don't have to worry about animal shit on the floor," says Crayton, leading Ella, Rebecca and the Chimæras to a room with a number 1 on a nameplate. Well, it is obvious John and I will sleep together, along with Meredith and Nine in their own room. So…

Marina's cheeks were pink a little. I didn't know if Cole was nervous, but a naughty smile on Meredith's lips confirms what I've been thinking. John sets me on the bed in our room while he closes the door with telekinesis. "How are you feeling?' he asks, sliding in beside me, automatically wrapping his arms around me in a protective gesture. "You know, I need to use the bathroom," I say, breaking his embrace and swinging my legs of the bed. I felt like my head weight a thousand pounds. Black…things swim in and out of my line of vision. "Can you even stand?" John asks.

"Yeah," I reply. I take a deep breath and walk casually to the bathroom to do my stuff. I wash my face in attempt to wash the drowsiness away. Unfortunately, it just made it worse. Damn that sword! Why does it do that?

When I walk out the door my lips met John's with intensity. He roughly kisses me, the pain in my entire body subsiding. I throw my arms at his neck and kiss him back hungrily, our tongues fencing with each other as I let him explore my mouth. He pushes me against the wall, which breaks my grip on him and he takes the opportunity to pin my hands on it. I struggle against his grip, wanting to run my fingers through his curly locks. All I heard was me moaning and John's heavy breaths. His lips move through my neck, and I swear I felt his tongue too. I have to admit it was a little…gross.

I break away to pull his shirt above his head, exposing his toned chest. I was breathing heavily and so was John as he removes my tank top. His lips crashed into mine with urgency. My heart was pounding against my rib cage, like any moment now it would burst out of my body. I trace every plane on John's chest and feel his heart beating like a hammer against wood. I wrap my arms around his neck and feel his hands on my thighs as he scoops me up in his arms. He forcefully presses his lips on mine. John pushes me off of him and I fall on the bed, only to be pinned down again. His fingers pull my gym shorts down as I remove his jeans with my mind. Thank God he was wearing boxers. He tosses my shorts away then moves his lips to my neck. I yank at his hair so that he knows he's kissing the wrong place, but I hear the door knob click open and I dive under the sheets. Nine pokes his head out with his pendant dangling from his neck in plain view, half his bare chest visible from my hiding place. "Looks like someone's been busy," muses Nine, his eyes darting from our clothes on the floor then to John's red face. "Shut up and get out of here, Nine," he snaps. With telekinesis, I shut the door close, hearing Nine curse from the outside. I lock the door and to my satisfaction, it drove Nine back to his room with Meredith.

"So, where were we?" John asks before kissing me again.

* * *

I rise and fall on John's chest in sync with his breathing. I can feel his side pressed against my chest, which was burning hot. My hand was interlocked with his on the other side of his chest. John's arm was wrapped around my waist loosely. I listen to the steady beating of his heart, which were rapid mere minutes ago when we made love. I let the sound of his heart fill my ears like music and close my eyes, which snap open again when I here murmurs.


	15. Chapter 15: John

**Chapter Fifteen**

**John**

I see Sam on a slab, again. But this time he looked different. He looks skinny, like he lost ten pounds. His cheeks were sunken, and his eyes lost its brightness. He simply lay down on the slab, flat on his back. His skin was very pale due to lack of sunlight. There were no mad Mogadorian scientists, but the equipment they usually used were still blinking and buzzing against the darkness. Sam's beady eyes were closed, but they snap open when the sliding door opens. In comes Setrákus, followed by a handful of Mogadorian scientists. One of them switches the lights open, and with that I cower behind the stone pillars near Setrákus. That's when I notice two Mogadorian soldiers holding a hand-cuffed man between them, approximately as old as Crayton. He has newly cropped hair and a mustache shorter than Crayton's. His sallow skin looks rubbery from where I am. Sam squints at the skinny man, then his eyes widen. "Dad?" he asks, his voice rusty like he has a cough. The man looks up. His eyes—they were Sam's eyes too.

"Sam?" he says, bewildered. The two stare at each other, scrutinizing each other's face. I was happy for Sam, knowing that his dream came true even in the midst of the Mogadorians. He stays still with shock, just like his dad, Malcolm. Setrákus orders the soldiers to place Malcolm on the metal chair he occupied the last time I had a premonition about Sam. The weird thing was, they were speaking in Mogadorian all along yet I perfectly understood every word that came out of their mouth.

"Tie him up, ready my weapons," says Setrákus, and a Mogadorian behind the long panel behind Sam pushes a button. In an instant metal belts wrap around Malcolm's wrists and ankles. "Let him go! Dad!" yells Sam, writhing against his restraints, the only thing keeping him from running over to stand protectively in front of his father. Under Setrákus' command, the same Mog presses another button, and a table rises from the ground near his feet. On the table was every murder weapon you can think of. Knives, razors, everything. Sam's eyes widen with horror as he watches Setrákus pick up a knife, twirling it menacingly in his fingers. "Oh, I will let him go, after his heart stops. If you answer every question I ask you, I will let you and your father leave this cave unharmed," says Setrákus, and for a Mogadorian leader he speaks in English fluently.

"You know I'll never talk, so why bother?' says Sam, struggling against the belts around his waist and limbs. Setrákus moves the knife inches away from Malcolm's face. Malcolm moves away from the knife that will cut him sooner or later, inching his face away from the knife as far as possible. Setrákus' eyes lock with mine for a split second before saying, "But for your dear father, you will." The knife descends on Malcolm's forearm, and everything went red.

"John! John, wake up! John!" Six was yelling. The red in my vision was clearing, and I see the blurry image of Six in front of me. I sit up as she wipes the sweat from my forehead with her thumb. My mouth was dry, and Six hands me a glass of water. "What did you see?" she asks, rubbing a portion of my back. My head was spinning. Nausea washes over me. I put my head between my knees and take deep breaths. When I can finally talk again, I answer Six. "I saw Sam again, and then I see Malcolm. You know, his father. Setrákus is torturing him—or, going to, considering it was a dream from the future. We have to bust him—I mean, 'them'— out," I say. Six's face turns pale. "We have to tell the others. Now," she says, standing up and picking my shirt off the floor. She puts it on, and then she tosses me my boxers. I wore them without hesitation. After a few minutes we were sneaking outside invisibly. We knock on Nine and Meredith's door, and a groggy noise comes from inside. "It's us. We have to talk, now," says Six, her voice coming from the empty air. There was some shuffling inside and they come out, clothes wrinkled and messy. Meredith knocks on Cole and Marina's door, then the two walk out almost immediately, their cheeks red. Nine busts in Crayton's room without knocking, resulting in the three of them and the Chimæras sitting bolt upright. "Wazzwrong?" Ella asks, rubbing her eyes. "John just had another premonition," Six says, turning visible. Cole shoots a glance at Six wearing my t-shirt and her gym shorts, then smiles naughtily at me. I feel myself blush in spite of the tension in the air.

"John, what did you see?" asks Rebecca. I tell them about the dream, then about Sam and Malcolm. When the part came about Malcolm, Crayton raises a hand. "We have to train first, and then we leave."

"But Crayton—" Meredith says, but he cuts her off. "Look, all of you. As powerful as you can be with your Legacies, we have to device plans, practice and train hard to defeat an entire army of Mogadorians, krauls and pikens bigger and stronger than our Chimæras. Do you think we're ready against maybe a thousand Mogadorians, including Setrákus himself?"

We pondered what he said for a minute. In the end, we agreed to Crayton's decision. We lazily walk back to our rooms, and Six notices for the first time the eighteen-meter long swimming pool near our door. After we slip inside, Six sits on the bed, running her fingers through her mess of curly hair. "What is it?" I ask, sitting down beside her. She looks at me, her face deadly serious. The wind was howling outside, yet a few minutes ago it was silent. "Six, calm down," I say, hugging her tightly. She does calm down, a little. "What's wrong?" I ask, again.

"You had a premonition about me, which you still haven't talked about. Then four days later you had another, this time it was about Sam and his father. I'm just curious, you know, about the dream you had about me," she answers, resting her head on my shoulder. Something inside of me clicks into place. The two dreams; they were connected. We are planning to save Sam and Malcolm, yet a simple flaw might ruin my entire existence. Six. The dream about her was highly significant to the dream I had minutes ago. What if she dies while trying to save us? Will I lose my mind? It's Malcolm and Sam we're talking about here, the one man that knows all the secrets we never knew and his son. I didn't notice Six talking to me until she waves a hand in front of my face. "Erm—right, the dream. Well, I saw you standing in front of the cave, and then I see Setrákus, running to you. Then I see this ball of energy, coming right at you. That dream has some sort of connection to my dream about Sam. I just…don't want to elaborate it," I say, dropping my gaze. Six understands what I meant then hugs me tightly. "We're going to make it. I promise," she whispers. I nod slightly, and then kiss her on the lips. She kisses me back and pins me down, straddling me. "Please, I've had enough for one night," she says, then rests her head on my chest. I chuckle lightly and kiss her goodnight on her forehead. She falls asleep at once.

I close my eyes, but my mind just won't shut down. It kept thinking of the visions I have seen. I know we have to rescue Malcolm and Sam, but something feels off. Is it because I worry too much about Six? I know she can handle herself, but the ball of death hurled towards her in my dream is really making me nervous and worried. Will it actually kill her? Will it take her away from me forever? I sigh and wrap my arm tighter around Six's waist. The simple gesture gives me the need to protect her at all costs, even if it gets me killed. I guess this is what love does to you, thinking of others before thinking of yourself. I've never felt so worried like this about someone in my entire life. I guess I'm being over-protective. "I love you," I mutter, and to my surprise, Six answers. "I love you more."

With that I close my eyes and fall asleep dreamless.


	16. Chapter 16: John

**Chapter Sixteen**

**John**

When I turn to my side I expected Six to be there, but all I found was my t-shirt, the one she wore last night. I sit up and run my fingers through my hair. Six's shorts were at the foot of the bed. I stand up and walk to the bathroom. When I open the door nobody's there. I look at the clock on the bedside drawer. It was just 6:30 in the morning. That's when I hear water splashing outside.

I smile and walk outside wearing only my shorts, watching Six doing laps alone wearing her sleek, pitch black Speedo swim suit. She was in the middle of a tumble turn when I sat on one of the chairs near the pool. I watch her swim freestyle to the other edge of the pool, where she does another tumble turn and kicks off the wall. Six reaches the middle of the pool before she does her first pull. After that she swims butterfly, and I have to say she's a good swimmer. I wonder what would've happened to Six if the Mogs weren't chasing us. She would've been part of the swimming team of her school, and then she'd venture out to join contests. Heck, she might even be part of the Olympic Swimming Team. But, she'd never meet me. I'd never meet her. So, I guess I thank the guy who took a video of me flying like superman into a burning house. If he didn't, Six would be stuck in Pennsylvania writhing in pain because another scar would be burned on her ankle.

Six does one lap of butterfly, two laps of breaststroke, two laps of backstroke and two laps of freestyle before stopping near my edge of the pool. She wasn't short of breath, and I was amused. I saw the swim team of Paradise High before, and when their coach made them swim about the same number of laps Six did, some of them threw up. I don't even understand how they became part of the swim team, considering they puke like that.

"How long have you been watching me?" Six asks, taking her black goggles off and slipping it on her arm.

"Long enough to see you swim like there's no tomorrow," I say, eyeing her perfect shoulders as she stands on the shallow part of the pool. I stand up and jump in the pool with a splash. When I resurface, I run my fingers through my hair so my bangs were out of the way. "Race me," Six says, tossing me her goggles. "But don't you need these?" I ask, hesitantly wearing the goggles. God, they were tight. And I mean tight.

"Nah, I can open my eyes underwater. I've done it countless times before," she says, and I wade through the water beside her, placing my right foot on the wall. "What stroke?" I ask. Six hesitates for a minute, and I pray she'll pick freestyle. That's the only stroke I know how to swim. "Freestyle would do. On your mark, get set, go!" she says, and I dive under the surface and kick off with my strength. I see Six at the corner of my eye, and I do my first pull when I ran out of breath. I thought I was winning, but then she did a tumble turn in front of me and started swimming to the other edge of the pool, to the finish line. I didn't know how to do the tumble turn, so I just kick off again. I reached Six while swimming, catching sight of her focused but playful face whenever I pull to breathe. We were in the middle of the pool, and my legs already feel tired. Then she puts on a sudden burst of speed and leaves me in the bubbles.

I touch the wall about thirty seconds after Six does. Unlike her, I was a little out of breath. "Not bad, John. Just build up on your speed and you'll be faster than I am," she says as I hand her the goggles. "Why are your goggles tight?" I ask. Six raises her eyebrow then replies, "I prefer it that way." Six leaves the pool, sitting on the edge with her feet on the water. I sit beside her, ruffling my hair. She squeezes the excess water from her hair, showing off her perfect shoulders and swan-like neck. She picks up her goggles, huffs out a sigh and then returns to our room. I follow her there, using the heat of my Lumen to dry my shorts. When I walk inside I hear the shower running, and just out of respect I fight the urge to walk in the bathroom. I was rummaging for a new pair of clothes in my duffel bag when my fingers hit a hard object. Six was still in the shower, slightly humming. I smile then fish out the thing I hit—Six's Chest.

I place her Chest on the bed. I now understand how Sam felt when I didn't open my Chest before. Anxiety and curiosity build up inside me. I was eager to know what the contents of Six's Chest are, wondering if we have the same ones as well, like Xitharis, or maybe even a Healing Stone. Since Marina's technically a walking Healing Stone, mine was forgotten in my Chest. "Why won't you open it?" I ask myself.

"Won't open what?" says a voice behind me. I turn around and find Six with her hair dripping wet, a towel wrapped around her slim body. Her eyes dart from me, to her Chest behind me, then back to me again. "I'm not yet ready," she whispers, walking over to her bag. She picks out clothes randomly—a loose, gray tee, denim short shorts and of course, underwear. After that she turns invisible while the towel drops to the floor. Her clothes were floating in mid-air as she puts them on. I was blushing, even if I know she's invisible. After she puts on her underwear, she turns visible, with the pendant on her neck hanging as she puts her denim shorts on. She puts her shirt on and gives her hair a casual flick, filling the air with the scent of her shampoo. She sits beside me on the bed, running a comb through her wet hair. "Why not, Six?" I ask, curiosity taking over me.

"I won't know how to use anything in it. Katarina wasn't alive when I developed my first Legacy. She won't even open the Chest when she was alive. She didn't explain anything to me. I'm just scared, I guess," she says. There was a silent knock on the door and Marina's head pokes out, and she hands us our breakfast, pancakes. Six and I eat silently as Marina closes the door. After we're finished, we walk outside and see Cole in the inn keeper's office. The inn keeper is a fat man with a shaved head, wearing khakis and a large t-shirt. Cole stares at the man, and in an instant his eyes become glassy. He puts earphones in his ears, tips his hat so that it covers his faces and kicks his feet up the table. Cole walks out and says, "Finally, you guys are awake. Well, we're training behind the motel, in Meredith's force field. With Six's help, we'll all be invisible inside the force field."

"How? I can't touch it," Six counters as we follow Cole around the motel. "Easy. She has a stone that allows her to control anything that happens in her force field. You just need to touch the stone, fill it with invisibility, and place it near the force field then bam!" he replies. We reach the backside of the motel and find the others gathered in a circle. Meredith stands up and hands Six a round, midnight blue stone with a waxy surface, just like my Xitharis. Six closes her fist around the stone then closes her eyes in concentration. The stone begins to glow, until the midnight blue disappears, replaced by a periwinkle blue. Meredith holds the stone, but she doesn't disappear, unlike me when I held the Xitharis. She leads us to the others, who remain huddled in a circle. Meredith closes her eyes in concentration and a big, domed bubble encases us, visible to only our eyes. The stone floats between her raised fingers. Then it rises up to the middle of the dome. I expected it to float out, but instead it attaches itself into the force field, filling it with the blue, see-through color. "Won't we be seen from the outside?" I ask Rebecca. "No, it won't we're completely invisible to the outside. The color just spreads within the force field so that we know our limits. If we touch the force field, the stone will return back to its original form, Six will regain her power of invisibility, and we'll be visible from the others outside," she says.

"We're going to have to practice on physical combat—without Legacies," Crayton says, pairing us up in groups of two. Marina gets paired with Cole, while, as usual, I get paired with Six. Soon we were sending jabs at each other. Six never makes it easy for me. She pushes me harder than the other times we've practiced. Her strength matches my own. She sends a jab which I block, but obviously that was a distraction. As she aims the jab at my face, she spins with her leg extended, therefore catching on my right foot. I fall to the ground, where my head meets the floor. Six straddles me, and then kisses me on the cheek. But she didn't get up quickly. I roll over so it's me on top of her. I hold her hands above her head, and lean in to kiss her. I didn't notice her feet on my chest until she kicks me away from her. "Damn it, John, focus!" yells Crayton, in a playful yet scolding way. I smile, remembering Henri's words before, and continue hitting Six.

Hours later training ends. We were tired and sweating. Nine was bare-chested, using his shirt to wipe the sweat on his body. Marina was healing the others, including herself. When it was Cole's turn to be healed, Marina passes out in exhaustion. If it weren't for Cole's arms, she would've hit the ground. "I'm going to take her back to our room," he says, and Meredith raises her hands again. The blue color came back to its source, like taking a video of spilling paint on the floor then rewinding it. Halfway to the stone, the color begins to grow darker, until it becomes the midnight blue earlier. The stone slowly descends as the force field dissipates. One by one the others enter their rooms. The sun was setting, and the stars are already coming out. Six looks up and smiles a little. She was transfixed at Lorien, and seeing her looking at that certain point in the sky reminds me of something. "Come on," I say, holding her hand and pulling her close to me. "Where?" she asks. I smile and then carry her bridal style to our room.


	17. Chapter 17: Six

**Chapter Seventeen**

**Six**

"No," I say, crossing my arms in front of John, who was sitting on the bed beside my Chest.

"Come on. You'll never know if you'll need anything in there," he says, running a finger through the lid of the Chest. "You won't change my mind. I made it perfectly clear that I will not open my Chest until I want to," I say, looking away. He's been bugging me to open this since we ate dinner a few minutes ago. Well, I am a little curious about what my Chest holds, but it doesn't change the fact that I don't know what to do with everything inside it. John hugs me from behind, resting his head on the crook of my neck. It's impossible to stay angry at him. Believe me, I've tried. I huff out a sigh and say, "Fine. But just this once, okay?" I can feel him smile and then he kisses my neck, sending a shiver down my spine. He sets the Chest on the floor, and sits with his back against the foot of the bed. I hold my breath then grasp the lock. It squirms against my grip until it clicks open. I glance at John, who nods at me in encouragement. I exhale slowly and lift the lid off my Chest. I expected some bright light, like John's when he opened his Chest before, but there was none. Inside my Chest was an assortment of gems: Loralite, Xitharis, a Macrocosm, a vomit green stone, a flat purplish piece of rock that nearly takes up most of the space and a pearly white stone as big as a golf ball, the color so light it would've been see through. As I said countless times before, I don't know what they are, much less what they're called. Inside were a length of vine with thorns, a hand mirror encrusted with Loralite gems and a dull dagger a half a foot long made with the exact material as John's sword. I hold the mirror at arm's length and see nothing but the room behind me, like I'm invisible. A thought pops into my head. I turn invisible while holding my mirror. The mirror doesn't disappear with me. That's when I see my reflection. The mirror let's me see things invisible. "Six, what is it?" John asks. I take his hand and make him disappear. I show him the mirror, and I see his expression, which was wide-eyed. I reappear, causing John's reflection in the mirror disappear. "Sweet," he says, brushing a finger on the mirror dreamily.

Next I hold the dagger, and it felt perfect in my hand despite its dullness. I try throwing it, but it didn't even make a dent on the wall, no matter how hard I tried. I even tried cutting my own wrist (which nearly gave John a heart attack), but still, nothing. It didn't even scratch my delicate skin. I sigh and look at the dagger, disappointed. That's when it started to change. The blade becomes thinner and sharper. I drop the dagger as the handle grows a bit longer. The dagger splits into two identical ones. The hilts remain the same, but on top of each one was a diamond-shaped Loralite gem. I clutch both knives in my hands, and the gem on their hilts glows faintly. I throw them, and as they hit the wall they get buried hilt-deep. But instead of bringing them back to me with my mind, they simple floated back to my hands. "Cool," I say, but I don't throw them again. I place them back to my Chest, were they melt back into one, dull dagger. John tries to lift it, but then he drops it quickly. "What?" I ask, putting the dagger back at my hand. I didn't feel anything.

"It just…I felt like I was struck by lightning. I guess it wasn't friendly to my touch," he says, massaging his hand. _Wow, _I think, _a dagger only I can hold. Cool._

I grab the length of vine, and something feels off. There were thorns everywhere, yet I don't feel anything. John doesn't make a move to touch the vine. I think the moment with the dagger gave him quite a fright. I didn't notice something wrong with the vine until John winces. I realized that I can control the length of the vine, making it grow longer and thicker, or thinner and shorter. The thorns grow at my command. John winced because a thorn pricked his finger, and after a minute with his Healing Stone, I put the deadly vine back in my Chest and ask, "What happened this time?"

"The vine just grew until I got pricked near my finger. Man, the pain was agonizing, even more painful than anything. I think it's poisoned," he says, edging a little further from my Chest. I made a pout and speak in baby-ish sort of way. "Is Johnny afraid of my toys?"

"Shut up, Six," he says, rolling his eyes at me.

"It wasn't exactly my idea to open this Chest."

"I'm not scared."

It was my turn to roll my eyes. Next I hold the purplish rock. The light bounces of its crystal-like surface, making it seem to sparkle. I close my eyes in concentration, cupping the rock with both hands. Nothing happens. John tries, rather reluctantly, and still, nothing happens. We give up after two minutes of trying. I hold the green orb in my hand, and it begins to hum slightly. It gives off a slightly pulsing light, so I instantly let go of it, falling back into the Chest. I had a bad feeling it was going to give away our position. But, it wasn't a Macrocosm, so I wasn't entirely worried. But that thing really startled me, like it was going to explode. John reaches for it, but I stop him. "Don't. It gave me a bad feeling, John. I don't want to touch again," I say, picking up the over-sized pearl and twirling it around my fingers. Again, nothing happens. I throw it at the wall in frustration, but it didn't break, nor did it make a dent on the wall like my knives did. Instead it passed through the wall, right into Meredith and Nine's room. I glance at John, my eyes as wide as his. I reach for the stone with telekinesis. It passes through the wall and zips into my hand. Hesitantly, I grip the stone with all my might and push my hand through the wall. I feel like I'm underwater. The wall loses its solidness and becomes liquid, like the lock of my Chest. I yank my hand back and look at the wall. I expected a hole there. But there's none. I smile and let John try. He grips the pearl, sticks his head out of the wall and into the other room. There was a muffled shriek and an angry shout and John's head comes out of the wall, laughing hysterically. He falls to the floor with a thud, clutching his stomach. "What did you do this time?"

"I saw them making out," John says between fits of laughter. I snatch my stone away from him and place it back in my Chest. Finally, I can breathe a little easier. Now, that the Chest is open, I don't have to stay awake at night trying to guess what it holds. I smile to myself and put my Chest in John's bag. "Why are you putting it in my bag?" he says, propped up on his elbows. "Safer than anywhere," I say, zipping his bag shut and then straddling him. He grins cockily, and then presses his lips against mine. I pull away and whisper, "Thanks…for telling me to open the Chest."

"You're welcome," he says, then rolls to his side so that he's on top of me. I smile before he kisses me passionately. My brain was malfunctioning, but I didn't care. All I care about now is my time in happiness with John. Nothing else matters in the world, even the Mogadorians, whenever he pulls me close. His touch was so familiar to me I can be asleep in his arms and still know he's there, warding away the nightmares. John pulls away slightly, our noses brushing against each other. "I love you, Six." The words that came out of his mouth were like music in my ears. I will never get used to him saying that, and I don't want to. I will never get enough of him. I whisper the three magic words in his ear and his face brightens. John's lips crash into mine, sealing it with a soft and lingering kiss. He stands up then offers a hand to help me up. After that he uses the bathroom, a new pair of clothes in his hands. I dress up in the room, considering John was using the bathroom. I throw my sweaty t-shirt in my bag and wear a tank top paired with cotton shorts. After that I slip inside the bed, curling myself into a ball and hiding under the covers. I hear the door of the bathroom open then close, and John slides in beside me. He lifts the covers up and puts his fingers under my chin, forcing me to look up. My lips met his. "Good night, Six," he says against my lips. I let my head fall on his chest before saying, "Sweet dreams, John."

With his arms wrapped around me, I guess I could say I'll have another nightmare-free night. I let my hand rest on his chest and close my eyes, listening to his heart beat. I let the sound of his heart beating make my eyelids heavy, and eventually, I drift off to sleep.


	18. Chapter 18: Six

**Chapter Eighteen**

**Six**

This morning Crayton rouses us up by banging on the door. John looks at the clock beside the bed, which read 5:30 in the morning. Normally, I would go swimming this hour, since the sun isn't up yet. But Crayton kept banging on the door and saying, "Training now! Same place!"

John groans and covers his ears with a pillow, which I find cute yet childish of him. I sit up and stretch, hearing my bones creak and pop. "We'll be there in a second!" I yell, and with that Crayton walks away. I look at John's sleeping figure and run my fingers through my hair. I only did what popped into my head. I walk to the foot of the bed, grab hold of the blankets and give it a yank. John looks up from his pillow, one eye open. "Come on, Six. It's too early," he says, rubbing his eyes as he sits up, yawning. "Do you really want to bust Sam and his dad?" I ask, putting my hands on my hips in a mother-scolding-her-son fashion. John sighs in defeat and stands up, walking to the bathroom. I tie my hair in a ponytail behind my head, passing the bag in which my Chest resides in. I hesitate for a minute. I should bring my dagger with me. I unlock the chest and pick up the dagger, and now realize it has a matching sheath that goes around my waist. I wait for John to finish using the bathroom before going to the others. The Chimæras were sitting near Ella, who has a sulky look on her face. The others, including the Cêpans, are already there. Cole and Marina were leaning against each other, their eyes half-closed. Meredith was happily watching Nine snores from her lap. When we reach them, Meredith wakes Nine up and hands me the stone I used yesterday. Crayton eyes the dagger on my waist, and then when I notice him looking, he looks away.

Once the force field is up and running, Crayton yells, "Everybody up!" Cole and Marina flinch awake. "Crayton, why did you wake us up? It's still…" Cole says, but his sentence gets cut off by a huge yawn, "…early."

"We're going to have to train hard before we organize the mass prison break. Now, bring out your weapons so that we can start and end with time to spare," says Crayton, pairing us up, again, only this time I'm not paired with John. I'm paired with Cole. John's with Nine while Meredith's with Marina. Crayton hands Cole a yellow stone I recognize as Xitharis. Cole curses and presses the stone to his temple then gives it back to Crayton. He grunts over to me. "What was that about?" I ask.

"Crayton took my mind-reading ability," he says miserably, brandishing his sword, which was as long as my arm. I unsheathe my dagger, which splits in two at my will. Cole looks at my knives, then at me. At Crayton's command, we start. I block Cole's attacks, and send few of my own. Once, I threw my knife, which nearly hit Meredith's force field if it didn't decide to take a detour. John was having trouble matching Nine's spear. After about twenty minutes or so, Cole sends a jab at my face. I try to block it, the blade of Cole's sword grazing my cheek in the process. He stands there, shocked like me. I wipe the blood from my cheek with the back of my hand, and throw a knife with ferocity. I was anticipating his every move, and thank goodness Crayton took his Legacy. It would've been unfair.

I was moving forward, pressing Cole harder and harder. The cut on my cheek was stinging, and I feel the hot, sticky blood flow down to my chin. The blood seems to be disturbing Cole, because once in a while he shudders at the sight of it. Finally, I found an opening. I trip him with my foot, and he falls flat on his back. The sword he was holding clattered out of his hand during his fall. With one of my knives, I throw it, landing a centimeter beside his face. My other knife was at his neck. He raises his arms in surrender, a drop of blood landing on his face. I sit out for a while, waiting for Marina to finish her practice fight with Meredith before asking her to heal my cut.

We stop when the sun above is in the center of the clear blue sky. Marina heals us nicely, but again, she faints after healing the rest of us. Cole carries her bridal style back to their room. Ella was simply walking around, a trail of Chimæras in her wake. "But can't you let me practice, papa?" she asks, for the hundredth time since training hours ago. "Not yet, dear," Crayton says, going into the kitchen with her and Rebecca to cook lunch. Funny, I wasn't tired. John was, and he's technically leaning on me as we went back in the room. He collapses on the bed with a contended sigh. I roll my eyes and strip down, picking up my swimsuit hanging from one of the chairs in the room. "Where are you going?" he says, sitting up suddenly. "I'm just going to do some laps…again," I say, walking over to him. "I'll be fine."

"But aren't you tired from training?" he asks, lacing his fingers through mine.

"No," I say, as I pick my goggles up from the table beside the bed with my telekinesis. I give John a quick kiss on the lips before walking out and closing the door. The sun was shining brightly, but I don't want to catch sunburn. I will clouds to form, and soon the clear sky becomes covers with puffy clouds. I put my goggles on and bend over at the edge of the deep side of the pool. I take a deep breath and dive. As soon as the water makes contact with my skin, I begin to lose myself, swimming two laps of freestyle without actually thinking about what I'm doing. I'm thinking about battle strategies at the moment, forgetting that I am swimming rather than thinking. I was about to do another tumble turn when I see little feet dangling under the surface. I stop mid-stroke. Ella was watching me swim, rubbing a Dalmatian puppy behind the ear. She had a frown on her face, but she smiles when I look at her. "What's wrong, Ella?" I ask, taking my goggles off.

"Papa Crayton won't let me practice with you guys," she says miserably. The puppy she was currently massaging whines and licks her hand affectionately. She smiles, showing her pearly whites. "Don't feel insecure, Ella. If you want, we can practice, all on our own, at least, that's what I did when I was your age," I say in attempt to lift her spirits up. And it did. Ella giggles excitedly, clapping her hands once before asking, "Where? What time? With who?"

"Hold your horses, kid. We're going to have to invite John and Meredith. They're going to help you practice. We'll practice after dinner. The question is: are you up for it?" I ask, placing my goggles beside Ella. Well, what can I say; I'm a little rebellious.

"Sure!" she exclaims, but then she shuts up and whispers, "It'll be our little secret. Thanks, Six."

"You're welcome, Ella," I say, and she stands up and skips to the kitchen. I was just about to leave the pool when I hear a high-pitched scream. I get up from the pool and run as fast as I can to the kitchen—where the noise came from. But on the way there I bump into John, thereby soaking his shirt. "What happened?" he asks frantically. The others were already outside too. Together we run to the kitchen. The tiled floor was killing me; I was slipping and sliding because I was still dripping wet. When we reach the kitchen, we see Rebecca and Crayton standing in awe. The sight makes my eyes widen. Everything in there was floating; plates, grains of sugar, silverware, chinaware, kitchen towels, dishwashing soap, shards of glass, etc. Ella was standing the middle of the floating carcass, hands covering her ears. I rush over to her, pushing the floating plates out of my way. I drop to a knee and grip her firmly by the shoulders. "Ella, it's me, Six," I say, my hands on hers. Slowly, Ella looks up at me, her eyes wide with fright. I remove her hands from her ears and as I do, everything floating around us sinks back to the ground, obeying the gravity. "Ella," I say, brushing away the strands of hair stuck on her face, "what happened?"

"I…I made something break…and…and then e—everything started t—to float," she chokes out, collapsing to the tiled floor. Without hesitation, I tuck her head under my chin, running my fingers through her hair. The floating things, the shards of broken glass, Ella's startled…it means one thing. But, she's too young to have it. Yet there it is. I carry her to our room, leaving the others rooted on the ground. I tuck Ella in despite her wet clothes. I wipe her tears away with my fingers. Her eyes were wide, and she really is startled, but one thing's certain; she's developed her telekinesis.


	19. Chapter 19: John

**Chapter Nineteen**

**John**

"It can't be. It's too early for her," Meredith whispers as we walk back to our rooms, our hunger forgotten. I scratch the back of my neck, yawning loudly. My sleepiness didn't wash away like my appetite did when I heard Ella scream. I grab the door knob, and Six opens the door as I do, carrying a sleeping, little Ella in her arms. I see she's washed up, in a pair of denim shorts and a spaghetti strap top showing the black straps of the bra underneath. "I'm going to have to help Rebecca cook. Marina's slightly dizzy and Meredith has other plans in mind," Six says before walking over to Ella's room. I yawn and enter our room. God, I'm so tired. I lie down spread-eagled on the bed, not caring about covering myself with a blanket. I close my eyes as my thoughts wander to Ella. It wasn't as bad when I developed my telekinesis, but I'm confused. Ella is just eleven years old. I developed my telekinesis months ago. Henri told me that telekinesis is bound to follow after your first Legacy. Ella's just too young to develop it. Is it because she became an Aeternus at a young age? Is that what caused hers to develop just as early? I remember Henri tell me that Legacies are triggered by strong emotions, and in my case, it was anxiousness. I don't know what triggered Ella's, but I hope it wasn't the same as my case.

I didn't even realize that I fell asleep until someone pushes me aside from my current position. I feel the mattress sink as Six slides in beside me. "Your food is on the table," she mumbles, curling herself in a ball with the bottoms of her feet and back pressed against my side. I sit up and float the tray to my lap, my stomach growling as the smell of bacon fills my nostrils. I eat silently, and after I finished my bacon strips, I float the plate back on the table, along with my empty glass. After that I brush away the stray strands of hair from her neck. Temptation washes over me, and before I know it I'm kissing the hollow behind Six's right ear, my arm draped on her thin waist. A soft moan escapes her lips as I move down her neck. I was sliding the strap of her top down when she complains, "I'm trying to sleep here." She turns to her side so that she's flat on her back. Once again, I marvel at how beautiful she is.

"Sorry," I apologize, caressing her cheek with my fingers until my lips met hers. I place my hands on her hips and pull her over me. She pulls away and raises a questioning eyebrow. I shrug and kiss her before she even gets the chance to speak. I place my hands on the portion of her lower back just above the waist band of her shorts, drawing smooth circles there that make Six shiver in response. I let my tongue brush her lower lip and she moaned, but it was muffled by my kiss. I was about to pull her top above her head when Six pulls away quickly, her left ear twitching like an animal's. "What—" I start, but Six puts a hand on my mouth. I considered kissing her palm but her serious face tells me otherwise. I cock my head to the side, where Six's head was turned to—the wall near the door. At first I heard nothing, and then I hear a ticking noise, getting faster yet still silent—

"Grenade!" Six yells, and once the thing that's beeping stops the wall explodes, throwing Six and me off the bed. Six's head hits the wall with a loud thud and she slides to the floor, blood trailing on the wall from the back of her head. I got the upper hand, landing on my back on the floor, but it doesn't stop me from worrying about Six. She was conscious as far as I can tell. Her eyes looked dazed but they widen with horror as they dart to the hole on the wall. I look up and feel mine widen too.

Standing there is a Mogadorian bigger than the others we fought, but smaller then Setrákus. They greatly resemble each other I almost mistake him for Setrákus, except that the Mogadorian standing there has no purplish scar on his neck and the three pendants are missing. Still, he must be at least eleven feet tall with short cropped hair. Claw marks rake from his hairline over his right eye, ending on his jaw. His pitch black eyes reflect the flames caused by the grenade, prominent against his ashen skin. The others were already fighting outside; Nine was dealing with krauls using his spear and strength. Meredith was shooting Mogs inside her force field like Marina, Ella and the two Cêpans. Cole was flying above, two Mogadorian canons in each arm. The five Chimæras were fighting pikens, with seldom krauls crawling up their backs. But I pay no attention to them. What I'm focusing on now is that the Mogadorian starts walking to Six, a purplish, evil sword in one hand and something metallic in the other. She was hopelessly still on the ground, the palm of her hand covered with sticky red liquid. She was groping the floor for her dagger, but sadly that dagger was nowhere to be seen. The flames behind the Mogadorian start to move, following him in pursuit. The Mogadorian raises his sword, and I erupt in flames.

Six wasn't the one controlling the flames. It was me. As I watch him raise his sword, the flames wrap around my body, engulfing me completely. My clothes didn't burn, and I was breathing. I inhale the smoke and flames, letting them enter my sinuses. But it felt like breathing in a warm summer breeze. My lungs didn't burn like the time I ran out of breath when Henri and Sam were watching me train in Ohio. I raise my arms, which were engulfed in flames. The Mogadorian turns his attention to me, and I tackle him, stumbling out of the room. The only thing keeping me from burning him alive is the thick armor he's wearing. His ashen and sensitive skin was blistering upon contact with me. Six found her dagger, slipping it on the sheath on her waist. The water from the pool rises in the air, swirling into a vortex like an inverted whirlpool. Drops of water land on my skin, but they evaporate quickly, and I hope that I don't burn out if I get soaked. The Mogadorian growls and tries to get me off of him, yet he can't because I'm still on fire. Gunshots make my ears pop, and the Mogadorian straining under my grip finally manages to throw me off of him. His wails of agony make the hairs (if there's still any that aren't on fire) on my arm and neck stand up. His hand was badly burned. The column of water starts swallowing up krauls and Mogadorians, drowning them. The Mogadorian I lunged at lifts the metallic thing, which was a cylinder tube six inches tall, probably two inches wide with a line across the middle. He smirks gruesomely, showing his chipped teeth. The cylinder opens at the line, and reveals a silvery gray chunk of rock. I run at him, a big ball of flames on each of my hand. "John, no!" I hear Crayton yell, but it was too late.

When I was merely three feet away from him, I feel the flames die, the tickling feeling of the fire melting away. I stop, dumbfounded, as I fire on my arms disappear. The balls of fire on each of my hand shrink until a tiny tongue of flame remains. The Mogadorian holding the cylinder walks over to me closing our distance in two steps. Suddenly I feel much suffocated. I shrink to my knees, my lunch coming up my throat. I get ready for the sword to pierce my body, but the Mogadorian kicks me hard in the gut, sending me flying over to the foot of Meredith's force field. I feel my strength coming back, but very slowly. The Mog walks to Six, who's breathing heavily, flat on her back. The swirling whirlpool was back in the pool, filled with ashes and dirt. The Mogadorians places the rock over her heart and Six's eyes flutter close, but she's still breathing. "No!" I yell, standing up, but strong arms hold me back. "He'll kill her! Let me go!" Sick comes up my mouth, but I force it back down. "John, they got what they came for, let's just leave it like that and later, we think of a plan," Crayton whispers, but I hear none of his words. We were inside Meredith's force field. The others, particularly Nine, Five and the Chimæras, were dust-coated. Very few Mogs were left, five krauls and a piken to be exact. Two Mogs carry Six by the arms, and my vision swims in and out of focus. I feel very lightheaded. The Big One presses a button his wrist and portal opens, a swirling green vortex. They file in, except for the Big One. He smirks devilishly then enters, the portal disappearing with him. "Who the hell is he?" asks Cole.

"He's Sethos, Setrákus' son. That stone he used on Six was from Mogadore. And by the looks of it, it drains your Legacies if you get too close," says Crayton, but I didn't listen to a word he said. They took Six. I failed her. I failed to protect her. But I know nothing will stop me from getting her back. "We have to save them," I say, thinking about Malcolm, Sam, and Six included. Flashbacks of the two premonitions play in my mind, but I set that thought aside. I can't afford to think negative now. My heart was thumping as I look at my fellow Garde. I was deadly serious. Plan or no plan, we have to save her. And Sam. And Malcolm. I walk past the wreckage of the battle, through the hole in our room. Six's chest was still in my bag. I rummage for it and run my thumb over the lid. That's the only proof I have that she's still alive. That she can still be saved. And I know nothing, not even Nine, will stop me from getting my revenge on that scumbag Sethos. _Don't worry, Six, _I think to myself. _I'm coming to save you. _I sigh and pick up what's left of our belongings. I walk to the SUV, which was still alive and un harmed as the pickup truck despite the little war that occurred. As I slip in the driver's seat, I eye the Rubik's cube she completed. I exhale slowly and start the engine, praying that Six is okay.


	20. Chapter 20: Six

**Chapter Twenty**

**Six**

As soon as John fell to his knees, I snuck up behind that Mogadorian bastard invisibly. My anger welled up to ferocious rage when the Mogadorian sends John flying over to Meredith's force field. The others were already retreating, bruised but otherwise okay. I had my dagger at hand, and I was about to stab the Mogadorian when he turns on his heels, leaving me face-to-face with a gray rock in a cylinder. I stop thunderstruck, staring at the rock and into his dark, triumphant eyes. I feel myself stop breathing. I can see myself in those merciless black orbs.

I don't understand. At first I was invisible, and then I'm visible against my will. I walk backwards slowly, staring at my shaking hands. I can see myself. The vortex of swirling gray water was slowly losing rhythm, falling back into the pool with one loud splash. The Mogadorian takes his first step forward, and an unbearable headache spreads from my temples to my entire head. I trip over a slab of concrete from the wall of our room and fall on my tailbone, which slightly hurt, but not compared to the emptiness I was feeling at the moment. It's like being exhausted and not allowed to sleep. I can feel my energy washing down from my head to the tips of my toes, leaving me with nothing but pain. I curl into a ball; the ground was slightly shaking as the Mogadorian takes his time walking over to me, delivering to me my death. My stomach was doing uncomfortable flips and knots, and a lump is formed in my throat, steadily moving to my mouth. I swallow my sick back. Retching will make me weak, if being weak isn't my current condition. Being weak means I'll die.

All I see from the ground is John's unconscious body being pulled away by Nine and into Meredith's force field. The Mogadorian is definitely above me now, showing off that stupid gray rock. I was aware that I was choking, gasping for air, making little squeaks as I inhale shallowly. The Mogadorian nudges my shoulder with the tip of his boot, causing me to turn on my back. I was suffocating. I couldn't breathe, nor could I see. I can just see patches of the Mogadorian in front of me. As far as I can tell, the Mogadorian bends over, and places the rock over my chest. It feels like a thousand leeches were sucking at every inch of my body. Maybe that's what the rock does; leeching our energy like vampires on blood. As soon as the rock makes contact with my skin, it feels like an enormous weight was pressed against my chest, making it throb with pain. A million little needles were prickling every pore of my skin repeatedly. "No! He'll kill her! Let me go!" I hear John yell. Though I may not see anything, I can still hear; from the grunts and guttural languages from the Mogadorians to Crayton whispering something in John's ear. Besides, I don't need my ears to know it was John who yelled in protest against the Mogadorians. Heck, I can be half-dead and still know he's whispering "I love you" in my ear before I die.

I wanted him to know that if I had it my way, I would've sacrificed myself over to the Mogadorians from the moment John had his premonitions. No one would've gotten hurt. But something made me hesitate back then. I would be leaving John. I made myself swear that I will never leave him again, under who knows what the consequences will be. But as I feel calloused hands pull me away, I guess I'll be protecting John somehow. Every Mogadorian will be focusing on me. He'll be safe with the others, at least for a short while, until they finally use me as a weapon against my own kind. John will probably be free somehow, and as the Mogs torture me in who knows where, at least they'll be away from the others. I managed to keep conscious until we enter something windy and swirling. After that I passed out, crying somewhere in my subconscious. Knowing where I am (or at least, I think I'm there), where Katarina was murdered, where I had to endure the pain for her loss in a dark cell, where the nightmares originated from, where Sam and his dad are held captive, where I nearly lost my one and only love, John. I yearn for John's strong arms, the ones that held me tight, the arms that shielded me from those nightmares. But I know I'll be seeing him again. Soon.

* * *

I don't know how much time has passed, but all I know is that I'm lying on something smooth and flat, not to mention ice-cold. Leather belts wrap around my arms and legs, three on each limb. A belt of steel hugged my torso, pressing me against the…what I think is a table. The rock was still on my chest, due to the prickly feeling I feel every now and then. The cold steel starts to leech my body heat, and if I had energy left to spare I know I'd be shivering. I tried opening my eyes, but end up trying to gather tremendous effort trying to do so, that got me even more tired if possible. I couldn't move any muscle on my body; not even a twitch of a finger. I mentally sigh and hear something slide open, thumps of boots echoing through my room. There was some weak shuffling and clinking of chains. There were a few beeps and tweaks and something bright is turned on. I hear something else move, and then silence. "Father, I don't understand. Should we not remove the Erinome from her by now? Based on the theory Argus has told me, it will take time—" someone says, but a loud and harsh snarl made him go silent. "She has to be weak, but strong enough to speak. Do you want the entire cave to collapse on us? Sethos, I believe that this Loric has the powers of Pittacus Lore, my long lost nemesis. If she came to her full power before we interrogate her, she will destroy us all. If it is true that she is stronger than Pittacus was, then we have no other choice but to either destroy her or make her an ally."

That voice made the hair on my arms stand up despite my physical weakness. It was raspy and supernatural. Alien. Did he just say that my ancestor is the great Pittacus Lore, Lorien's ruling Elder? What's this about my "full power"? Is it true that I am stronger than the Elder himself?

Something slides open, which I'm guessing is the door. I feel the rock removed from my chest, and the ton of weight I felt the past few hours was receding. Something is stuck into my arm, injecting minty, ice cold fluid that made me flinch in response. It felt like getting thrown off in a cold, winter lake. It even made my eyes open for the first time it what I'm guessing as four hours. The wall and ceiling were even and painted bright white I had to squint, so I'm assuming that I'm in one of those labs in the cave. I gathered a whole lot of effort just to move my stiff head, pivoting to my left. I see four, human-looking Mogadorian operators behind a long black panel with a shiny, touch screen surface. That was the thing beeping a few minutes ago. One Mog swiped his end of the panel, and then swipes his hand on a tablet. There appeared a copy of what was on his screen mere minutes ago. As much as I hate these bastards, I have to say that I want some of their tech.

I follow the Mogadorian with the tablet with my eyes and see him hand it to a Mogadorian twenty feet tall, with hulking muscle mass, chiseled features and short cropped hair. Scars and tattoos crisscross all over his tanned body, the most disturbing of which is wrapped around his neck, purple and grotesque, like he was beheaded and his head was stitched back together, like the scar on my thigh. I had a bad feeling about that particular Mogadorian. Normally, I wouldn't be afraid of them, but when I stared at those three pendants on his gruesome neck, I knew exactly why I feared him and what he was exactly capable of. Setrákus Ra accepts the clear tablet and strokes the surface. It glows, and he looks at it for about thirty seconds before handing it to the Mogadorian behind him, the one that used the stone against John and me, the thing he called "Erinome".

"So, you're awake," says Setrákus in a menacing way, looking at me like I'm a national treasure. "How rude of me not to introduce myself; well, I am Setrákus Ra, supreme leader of the Mogadorian Race. This is the last of my nine sons, Sethos Ra."

Nine sons? He had nine sons? I struggle against my restraints, feeling irritated that the Erinome took my powers. "Oh, don't bother. Your Legacies, along with your enhanced abilities, are temporarily weak. You're nothing but a useless slave to us now," says Sethos, handing the tablet back to the Mogadorian operator. "Who said I was going to be a slave to you bastards? I'll destroy every damned one of you!" I yell angrily, the power in me rising to boiling point. The cave was shaking. Dust was falling from the ceiling. Maybe it's my emotions that tamper with the speed of my Legacies as they return back to my body. My triumph was shortly ended. Setrákus Ra was really fast. He slammed the rock against my sternum, crushing the air out of my lungs. I blacked out slightly, but not before hearing, "She's a tough one."

* * *

I wake up sometime later to the sound of a manly scream. The Erinome was not on my chest, but rather beside me, on a table beside me. Nausea makes me feel like vomiting. I pivot to my right and feel my eye widen with shock and horror. A knife has pierced a skinny boy with beady eyes in the thigh, thick blood running down the steel chair he was sitting on. "Don't hurt him!" says a man to the wall opposite the boy. I wanted to shout out, but the Erinome is still tampering with my mind. I was seeing double, and my vision was spinning. Yet I can clearly see the pain in the boy's eyes as a Mogadorian pulls the knife from his thigh. My chest throbs with pain as I see him put up with this, and it has nothing to do with that damned rock. Sam was being tortured and I was forced to watch.


	21. Chapter 21: John

**Chapter Twenty-One**

**John**

Crayton leads us to the forest again, near a lake somewhere halfway to West Virginia. We've set our camp site near the lake shore for about thirty minutes, and since then Nine, Meredith and the Cêpans began talking about battle strategies whereas Ella, Marina, Cole and the Chimæras were training. Cole is sparring with Marina, laughing their heads off as they hit each other playfully. At one time, I saw Cole kiss Marina full on the lips, but they reminded me too much of the times Six and I practiced that I had to look away. Cole and Marina were bonded to each other, as their pendants transformed about an hour after Six was taken.

I, however, was sulking near the edge of the lake, hugging my knees with Six's Chest beside me, shut off to the rest of the world. Night was coming; the sky was a shade of dark blue colliding with a little bright orange, with few of the stars peeking out. I stare wistfully at my reflection on the clear, glassy surface of the lake. I feel like a dead man. Six is only taken from me for five and a half hours, yet I feel like it's been a lifetime. I haven't spoken since we left the motel. I was in the news from the radio in the car after that, where the reporter said, and I quote, "successfully killing the inn keeper, blowing up two cars, killing three people in the process. The people who survived the accident were taken into the asylum, since they tried to convince the police that there was a whirlpool rising up to the sky from the motel". I mostly kept to myself when we drove here, keeping Six's Chest close to me. It's the only thing left, aside from my premonitions, that keeps me reassured that she's still alive. So here I am, feeling empty without her by my side. I want to hold her hand, feel the warmth of her body pressed against mine. I want to caress her cheeks with my lips while she plays with our interlocked fingers. But I know that the only way for my daydreams to come true is not to think negative and save her.

"What are you looking at?" someone asks, and the shift of pebbles and rocks fill my ears. Ella squats beside me, three puppies by her side. She looks at me questioningly, and then follows my gaze at the water. "Nothing. It's just that, what if we don't get there in time? What if she dies?" I say miserably, not looking at Ella because it reminds me too much of Six's soft side. I clutch my head in my hands in a desperate gesture. Ella pats my shoulder reassuringly. You can call me "over-reacting" but who wouldn't worry this much about the one you love if you knew they were in the midst of danger?

"We'll get her back, Four. But you know, you shouldn't give up hope. At least, Six wouldn't, if it was you who was kidnapped," Ella says encouragingly, rubbing a puppy's belly. An old memory resurfaces in my malfunctioning brain, something about what Henri had said about hope. _There is always hope, John, _he seems to say in my mind, _No. Don't just give up hope yet. It's the last thing to go. When you have lost hope, you have lost everything. And when you think all is lost, when all is dire and bleak, there is always hope._

"Papa wants to talk to you, but if you don't want to, then I'll just tell him," Ella says, and whistles softly as she walks away, the puppies jogging in her wake. I sigh and pick up a pebble from the shore with telekinesis, throwing across the surface of the lake. It bounces off the surface about six times before sinking under the water. With one last look at the lake, which was now active with little waves on the surface, I walk over to where Crayton sits.

"John, in your Chest, do you have a little gem that looks like an amber rain drop?" he asks the minute he hears my footfalls. In fact I do have one, but I don't know why he'd want to use it. Besides, it affects only me, like the things in Six's Chest are. I summon my Chest with telekinesis, floating towards me in the air. Bernie Kosar and Elizabeth were fighting over something I can't see. Nine, Meredith and Rebecca were talking, huddled in a circle. Cole and Marina, along with Ella and the Chimæra family, are sparring in the field. As the Chest floats into my hands, I unlock it and hold up the stone Crayton was telling me about. He doesn't touch it though. "That's called 'Oniro'. For Lorics with the Legacy of Premonition and Telepathy, this is a common stone to them. They use it for sending messages to others, particularly in dream form for future-seeing Lorics and in thought form for the telepaths. But you and the receiver of the message should be asleep at the same time for the connection to remain intact since you have the Legacy of Premonition. If you or the other wakes up, the connection with be severed," he says. I let everything he said sink in, and nod for him to continue. Rebecca walks over to us and says, "He means that if you and Six fall asleep at the same time, you'll make a connection and will be able to send messages to each other." It's the first time I heard her speak to me since Nick's death. I now ponder at the thought, wondering if there was something between them none of us knew.

"Well, obviously you guys are up to something, so what will I tell her?" I say. Meredith and Nine are practice-fighting alongside Marina and, to my surprise, Ella. She's swift, bouncing lightly on the balls of her feet, her hair flipping as she lunged at Marina, reminding me so much of—

The impact of seeing Ella spar with Marina hits me hard in the chest. One moment, it was Ella I was seeing, and then it was Six, with her golden curls tied neatly in a ponytail. I mentally shake my head and focus on the ground while I listen to whatever Crayton was explaining.

So, our plan is to travel all the way to West Virginia under a flag of truce. Crayton says that whenever there's a flag of truce, Mogadorians accept only one into their turf. I'm going to be the one who goes in and comes out with three others, with a force field-powered Xitharis in my pocket. The purpose of the dream-messaging is that I have to tell Six that she will have to stall the Mogadorians until we get there. After that, when I'm in their territory, I have to convince Setrákus to release Six, Sam and Malcolm. Once he does that, though I doubt he will, I'll use Meredith's force field to bust us out of there. The plan sounds so prefect yet a hundred million things can go wrong, maybe all at once, considering the vision of Six and the death ball…

"Crayton, what do I do about that damned stone? There's a hundred percent chance that the stone will be near, if not, on top of Six to keep her weak," I say.

"Do you remember the cylinder they kept it in?" Rebecca asks, and I nod. A slight shiver runs down the entire length of my body as a gust of wind blows past, and I wish Six was here to warm the temperature up. I nod my head in agreement and Rebecca continues, "That cylinder is made from a material found in Mogadore. It's like solid Loricyde. Nothing here on Earth, or on Lorien, can penetrate it. As it blocks from the outside, it also blocks from within, which means that the stone should be inside the cylinder when you're there in order to block its powers."

"Okay, is there anything else?" I ask. Crayton tosses me a sleeping bag and replies, "Start sleeping. Focus your thoughts to Six, like you're sending them to her. You'll be able to send her a message by then, if we have the luck." I walk away with the sleeping bag slung over my shoulder. This is the same sleeping bag Six and I shared what seems like a lifetime ago, as I can smell her scent on the fabric. I pick a spot on the forest floor and clutch the Onrio tightly in my fist. As I slip inside, my thoughts wander to Six. I pull my phone out of my pocket and look at the time on the screen. It read 7:30. I think that the odds aren't exactly in my favor today. _Don't give up hope, _I tell myself, but I'm beginning to worry that she isn't asleep at this time, given that it's still early and the Mogs might be torturing her…

I shake my head and think about her beautiful smiling face, as Crayton had instructed me to do. After that I yawn and close my eyes, feeling myself drift away as soon as I lose consciousness. I'm floating, so to speak. It feel like the times Henri used the Loric Crystal to spread the Lumen from my hands to every part of my body. In the dream, I open my eyes and find myself in darkness. It wasn't a vision; I can feel it. I walk around, looking for any signs of Six in my dream. As I take another step, I feel myself get whisked away by something fast and powerful. I'm travelling by the speed of light, and before I know it, I'm back on Lorien. Like my visions before, the familiar blue sky was there, spotless of clouds. The bright grass here reaches up to my knees. The wind picks up again, and this time it brings along a beautiful girl with Caucasian skin and curly blond hair. She looks up at me with her curious, electric blue eyes that widen in an instant.

"John?" Six asks.

It worked. I guess the odds are in my favor after all.


	22. Chapter 22: Six

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

**Six**

I can't hold on any longer. Sam is bleeding heavily on his bloodstained chair, his eyes half closed. His clammy skin looks rubbery from the sweat. For the past two hours the Mogs have interrogated me, but I have not the strength to answer them because of the Erinome. With every unanswered question brings forth another cry of pain from Sam. My eyes are sore from the crying, my throat as well from the little hysterical noises I was making as the sobs rack my body. Two Mogadorians haul him away, a trail of deep red liquid trailing them on the white floor leading to the sliding door in the wall. The man opposite the chair Sam occupied shouts cuss words at Sethos, the Mogadorian in charge of all this torture. Two other Mogadorians walk past me and the Erinome, and there is a series of clinking and fussing. After a whole two minutes, the Mogs march over to the chair beside the bloodstained one, carrying a skinny man between them. They place him forcefully on the chair, holding his limbs steady as the straps of steel wrap around his wrists and ankles. Through the double vision I am seeing, I see the man is paler than Sam is. But even if my vision is blurry from the tears, that man has Sam's eyes. That man must be Malcolm, the key to everything.

Sethos glowers over me, running gnarled finger down my cheek. I move as far away from him as this table allows. "Where are the others? Tell me or risk the death of this man," he says, and then again, I don't answer. I've mustered enough energy for crying and sobbing for Sam, and I'm not sure I can handle any more. I'm both physically and emotionally exhausted, and all I really want to do right now is close my eyes and rest, even in the hellhole. Sethos waits for a minute and then gestures at the Mogadorian holding a knife in front of Malcolm. I close my eyes as I hear Malcolm's scream. I don't want to watch. It's agonizing enough already without actually seeing what's going on. Tears fall from my already sore eyes and down the sides of my face. Several times I tried to answer their questions, but all I heard were hoarse whispers. If they just took that stone away…

"Where are your fellow Lorics?" Sethos asks again, for the sixteenth time I think. I've lost count after the first five questions. I open my eyes in a pleading gesture. I gather whatever strength in me remains and whisper, "They're coming for me."

"We're aware of that. Father even called down the hunt because we know they'll be after you, the bait," he replies. This goes on after another two hours before Malcolm was ushered away like Sam. Pools of blood now surround the chairs in which they occupied as they were tortured. I take in a deep breath before Sethos places the Erinome back on my chest, but this time I don't try to fight the powers of the stone. I go with the flow, sighing deeply in my subconscious as sleep engulfs me. But this time everything is different.

The sounds of the beeping of the Mogadorians' equipment are blocked from my ears. I'm drifting away, into darkness. My heart is pounding painfully against my chest. _"Am I dead?" _I ask myself as I open my eyes. All I can see is darkness. Not a single sliver of light. I try moving around, but as quickly as I am transported here, I'm transported elsewhere. The wind is carrying me somewhere, I can feel it. Everything stops instantly, and I'm greeted by tall emerald green grass and bright, clear cerulean blue skies. The wind is rippling through the grass which was brushing against my legs in the dream. I look up and feel my eyes widen. Standing in front of me is a boy with wavy blond locks and intense blue eyes. "John?" I whisper. Is this real, or is this just a dream? Nonetheless, he's here.

John runs to me, easily closing our distance in two steps. He laces his arms around my waist and spins me around. He stops after one, two spins and buries his face in my hair. John whispers my earth name in my ear over and over again. We stay like that for about five minutes before he pulls away. The wind rushes past, and I just now noticed that I can feel John's hand, but only that. His hand isn't as warm as I thought it would be. I crash into his chest, sobbing, even in this dream. "What's wrong?" he asks, running his fingers through my hair. Something grows behind John, and a giant tree sprouts from the ground, a tree that looks like the one that marks Nick's last resting place. "Everything's just a dream," I whisper as we sit down, and even in this all-too-perfect dream my voice sounds croaky. I sit between John's legs, my back pressed against his chest. He starts kissing the side of my face, and I cry harder. I can feel his lips, but I can't feel the heat that comes with it, the heat that sends tingles throughout my entire body and makes me blush furiously. "Hey, everything will be alright. Which reminds me; we're coming for you tomorrow."

I look up at him as he wipes my tears away. "When? What time? What can I do?" I stutter, but John puts a finger at my lips.

"Slow down, Six. All you have to do is keep them distracted and wait for me. Oh, and keep them from torturing Sam and Malcolm. You might as well convince them to release the two of them," he says. His fingertips caress my cheek softly, tucking loose strands of hair behind my ear. I lean on his hand and say, "You don't know what it feels like…t-to…t-to watch them…" I didn't continue, mainly because my heart is aching badly at the thought. John hushes me, and presses his lips against mine. "Everything will be okay, Six, remember that. I love you, and I'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe," he whispers tenderly against my lips. I kiss him and reply, "I love you more."

That's when John's figure begins to shimmer. I stand up quickly. John stands up too. The wind in the dream howls, taking few of John's body parts with it like he's made of sand. "Don't leave me!" I yell, grabbing his hand but end up closing my fist in mid-air. I shrink to my knees, the thin barrier that keeps me from going insane crumbling slowly. I don't want him to go. It's the first time I've ever felt happy since I arrived in this hellhole. John's entire body keeps on dissolving. "John, don't go!" I shriek, cupping his face in my hands before he begins to disappear. "I will never, ever leave you. I never did," he says before he dissolves, gone with the wind. I sob harder than ever as the wind picks up again, this time bringing me along. The feeling…it's like flying at super speed, until the winds bites into your flesh and goes numb. I let out one cry of agony and suffering before I close my eyes, and when I open them, I'm back in the laboratory. The Erinome isn't on my chest, thank God. Setrákus Ra looms over me, his eyes shining with vengeance and madness. He has a knife in one hand, and the Erinome in the other. "I've received reports that you are silent, not answering our questions, unlike before when your precious Cêpan died all those years ago," he says, and the easily cups my face using one hand in a threatening gesture, "so, you're going to talk to me now, and if you don't, I will make sure you will suffer worse than Pittacus." The knife he is holding scrapes my right cheek. The pain is agonizing; it's the kind of pain I experienced when I took that sword to the thigh for Mark James back in Ohio, but multiplied thrice with the help of the Erinome.

"So, what do you know about your ancestral heritage? Is it true you and the others are more powerful than the original Elders?" he asks. I spit at his face and remain quiet. Henri's letter said that the Mogadorians know already, that that's the very reason we were hunted down in the first place. So why is Setrákus so persistent in knowing if I am Pittacus Lore's descendant?

I remain as quiet as possible throughout the hour of pain and torment. Setrákus did nothing but repeat the damned question. With every unanswered question comes a streak from the knife on my forearms, chest and even my face. Now, a long gash runs from my right temple to my jaw in a crescent shape. On my left cheek is the gash he made earlier. On my left forearm is a not so deep cut, about the same length as the one on the skin above my sternum, but still the pain is excruciating. Throughout the question-and-answer hour I made no sound suggesting torture. I remind myself countless times that I have to be strong, not weak. If I show weakness, they'll use it against me. Sam and Malcolm, for one (I only consider Malcolm a weakness because he reminds me too much of Sam). And John. And Ella. Poor little Ella. I haven't even fulfilled my promise to her, the one about practicing behind Crayton's back. Setrákus leaves me in this dingy lab, followed by two of the Mogadorian operators. I lay side-by-side with the Erinome and close my eyes again, hoping for another perfect dream. Sadly, it didn't come. The Mogadorians change shifts sometime later, and all the while I'm thinking about what had happened to John, and why our connection broke. All I know is that he better get his Loric ass here. Soon.


	23. Chapter 23: John

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

**John**

"John! John! Wake up, man, we've been spotted by the FBI," someone says, and when I open my eyes Nine's gripping my shoulders hard, shaking me frantically. There's a chopper somewhere, since the trees around us are rustling in the wind. I'm feeling unfazed at our situation at the moment, feeling dazed and proud of myself. My first successful dream message. "John, snap out of it man! We have to go now!" Nine yells over the loud noise of the chopper as it approaches us. I couldn't help but think of Six's beautiful face, just before she started sobbing. She isn't really there, but it's enough for me. A blaring spotlight causes me to return to reality, standing on my feet in the instant. Nine and I are the only ones here, and my super-hearing picks up the sounds of footfalls in the forest. I grab my backpack, the sleeping bag and Six's Chest and then flee towards the woods after Nine. There are sirens everywhere I turn my head to listen, dogs barking, police shouting orders and some raspy noises that probably came from the radios they're using. We follow our ears to the others, who were at the other end of the forest. I stop running when I reach them. "What happened while I was asleep?" I ask.

"Campers walked past our camping site. We were talking, and then when I turned around, I saw one of them snap a picture of you before running away with his buddy," Cole says, handing the bottle of water he was sipping from to Marina. I sit on a large boulder, checking my phone for the time. It read 3:44 in the morning, which explains why some of the others looked tired and sleepy. I see we've also left our cars in the camp site, our only means of legal transportation. "Well, we can't just stop here. We have to move. They can find us here. Now, we're all terrorists," I say, hoping down from my rock. I pick up Six's Chest from the ground and shove it in my back pack. I swing it over my shoulder and Nine says, somewhat angrily, "We can't go on like this. We've risked so much just getting her back. Now, even our identities are all over the world. We won't be able to hide anymore."

I stop dead, the strap of my bag slipping down my arm and unto the ground. I turn around slowly, my fists clenched. "How dare you!" I say, feeling the tickling sensation in my hands as a ball of flames erupts on each of my palms, stomping towards Nine. He stands tall, his fists clenched as tight as mine. It isn't my fault I became the world's most wanted person. It isn't my fault Six got captured. It isn't and most definitely not anyone's fault that we're running now. Haven't we been hiding our entire lives? Haven't we risked enough throughout our entire lives, and half not being because of Six?

"How can you say that? She's one of us! She had a choice! We all had a choice! And did she choose to be taken? No, she didn't, and neither do I! Neither does anyone of us! Did I choose to be a terrorist? No, you son of a bitch!" I yell at him, not caring if the FBI can hear me. Nine's eyebrows furrow as he squares his shoulders. "Don't you dare accuse Six of anything! This isn't her fault!" I yell, hurling a ball of flame at Nine. He dodges it by floating in the air as he turns the gravity off, and instead of him the fire hits the tree.

"I am not your enemy!" Nine growls at me, aiming a hit for my face. I duck and throw a long tongue of flames at him. "Stop it!" Meredith cries. But we're just getting started. As soon as we have started, Nina and I are sprawled on the ground, fist fighting. My knuckles hit his cheek, and he returns the favor several minutes later. Strong arms wrap around my arms, pulling me away from Nine. Crayton and Marina have their arms looped through mine while Ella, Cole, Meredith and Rebecca hold back an angry Nine. Meredith clutches his face in her hands, her eyes never leaving Nine's. I shrug off Crayton and Marina's arms and pick up my backpack from the ground, stomping towards the trees. I sit down almost instantly, bringing my Chest out of my bag. I unlock it and remove my Healing Stone to take some of the pain away. How come he has the nerve to talk about her like that? If he was in my shoes, wouldn't he feel the same way?

The others follow me in pursuit silently with Nine bringing up the rear. The tension's still in the air, and I wish Six is here, with her hands interlocked with mine. I sigh and check my phone, which I've done every hour to check if we're in the right track. Once, we veered too far off course, I had to steer us in the right direction. I feel like a leader that leaves no one behind. I've even allowed the others to rest awhile as I take first watch. I've only got about six hours of sleep and I don't even feel tired. I stare at the skies as I wander back to Six and what they're doing to her right now. I her a twig snap behind me and I spin around, only to find Nine awake. "What do you want?" I ask harshly.

"I just wanted to say sorry, but you're in such a bad mood I should've decided against it," he says, and I hear him walk back to whatever sleeping bag he came from. The temperature in the area is quickly dropping so I had to put of a jacket to keep me from the cold. Six would've heated me up by now, if she was here. I sigh and check the screen of my phone again. We're about a few miles away from the HQ. I kept Six's directions in my Chest for protection. "Four? Are you awake?" someone asks. I pivot to the right and see Ella rubbing her terrified eyes, shivering alone in her sleeping bag. I feel myself shift to big-brother-mode when I look into her eyes. She must've had a nightmare. "What's wrong?" I ask, standing up and walking over to her sleeping bag.

"I had a bad dream," she says quietly, hugging her knees under the cover of her sleeping bag. I know how she feels. Trust me; I've been through that a whole lot worse.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I ask her. She shakes her head. I whisper goo night to her and walk over to my look-out point, where Bernie Kosar and the other Chimæras are sleeping. Just as I'm supposed to sit down, the whir of a chopper hits my ears again. I wake everyone up and once again, we're on the move. I take the lead like before, following our blue and white dots to the blue and red dots. No one complains, even though I see in their eyes that they're tired and sleepy. Marina's walking wobbly footsteps until Cole sweeps his arms under her legs and carries her bridal style while she sleeps in his arms. Nine and Meredith carry everything else we own, and of course, we had to travel all the way to Hawks Nest on foot, for the Cêpans' sake. After about a few hours, we reach the park, and continue down the road for roughly fifteen miles. The sun's slowly rising up in the sky, streaks of red orange in the sky. "Can't we just carry you guys?" Nine complains for the hundredth time since we lost the helicopters a few hours back.

"Fine, but just this once," Crayton agrees, and Nine hoists him up his shoulders like a sack of flour with all of our bags. Meredith does the same to Rebecca. Cole sets Marina downs and take the bags off Nine's and Meredith's shoulders. Finally, we're able to run off at Loric speed. We fly past the landmarks I memorized from Six's map. I stop at the two trees angled at each other, branches like arms around each other's trunk. One more landmark…

We reach the last landmark and I say, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I give to you, the Mogadorian HQ." I look at the mouth of the cave down in the valley, covered by a tarp that very much looks like the surroundings. Six is just a stone throw away from me. I'm almost there.

"More of like a shit hole than an HQ if you ask me," Nine says. The wind ripples past us, making the tarp sway. "You all remember the plan right?" Rebecca says, fear clear in her voice. We nod in agreement, and the tension is once again present in the air around us. My heart's thumping madly against my chest. This is where Six lost her Cêpan, and I my best friend. This is where Nine was imprisoned. This is where Setrákus and his bastard of a son reside. This is where it ends.

"Give me the Xitharis. I'm going in," I say with confidence, and we prepare for the battle of our lives.


	24. Chapter 24: Six

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

**Six**

The usual chairs Sam and Malcolm occupied a few hours ago are gone. Even the bloodstained floor is cleaned. I don't know how long I've been asleep, but I think its morning. The weight of the Erinome resides over my heart, and no matter what they do or what I do, I can't stop it from pumping madly. Today is the day John said he'll come for me. And that worries me.

I can feel the pressure of the leather straps on my limbs lessen until they're completely gone. The steel belt on my waist disappears too. Why are they doing this? Despite being partially free, the Erinome's making me weak, unable to move. I hear the door slide open, and groaning fills my ears. Sam. Malcolm. There's clinking of chains, and the groaning continues. "Six! Six, wake up!" Sam yells, and I do try to, but my eyes feel like they're glued shut. "Let her go! Let her go!" Sam yells, and the door slides open again, this time, heavy footfalls enter the lab. "Is that love I hear?" asks a voice that makes my hair stand up until the very ends.

"No, I know she doesn't like me as much as she likes him," Sam says coolly, and if I hear correctly, there isn't a trace of downheartedness or fear in his voice. I expected him to be sad and angry at me for picking John over him, but I guess he understands. Maybe Sam's really smart after all. Setrákus' footsteps echo loudly through the walls of the lab. If they just put this stone away, I'd be as good as free. The door slides open and I hear murmurs in a language I don't understand. "We have company," says a voice huskier than Setrákus', so I guess it must be Sethos. My eyes snap open…sort of. My eyelids parted slowly, until I can open my eyes. It took great effort to do that so I guess I should reward myself. Still, the Erinome has power over me. My eyelids start getting heavier, but I force them to stay open. One thing is certain: they're here.

Setrákus' head pivots slowly to me, just a fraction of second after I close my eyes again. I hear him exit the room. My heart starts doing jumping jacks uncomfortably. Shit, I'm panicking. What if they torture the others in front of me? What if they kill them all? What if John gets hurt? What if Ella dies? My breathing hitches. "Sir, tech's going haywire!" I hear one of the Mogadorians in the room yell in panic. Haywire? Am I doing that?

"Shut it down!" Sethos orders. The door slides open and Setrákus yells, "What is happening? I got several reports on my way down here that the machinery and technology aren't working. You two, put him on the chair."

Him? John? Shit. The buzzing and high pitched humming grows louder. Wait a second. If it was me doing that, then why do I still feel weak? Why do I still feel empty? Unless it is someone else…

"What did you do to her?" someone yells with a voice I can recognize even if I'm dead. He's here. John's here. He's the one that's making the computers go nuts. I try to turn my head so that I can see him, but end up with nothing. "Oh, the usual torture," Sethos replies. I can hear John's attempt to free himself from his restraints. "John…" I whisper hoarsely, and I think he didn't hear it until I hear something snap, like metallically. The Erinome is out of my chest, and I start moving. "Six, wake up. We have to get out of here," John says, and I wrap my arms around his neck as he slips his from under me. "You came," I whisper, my voice louder than it ever was since I got here.

"Of course I did. You think I'd really leave you here alone?" John says, and presses his lips on my forehead. There are angry shouts of orders and instructions everywhere. John flicks his wrist and their equipment explodes, emitting black smoke. "Save the reunion for later. We have to get out of this before we all get killed!" Malcolm says. I open my eyes as wide as I can. I can feel a small stone pressed against my thigh, hidden under John's hand. We're enclosed in a protective bubble, most likely to be Meredith's, but she's not here. In fact, John's the only Garde here, besides me. "Sam, get that stone and put it here," John says. Sam obliges, and he puts the Erinome inside the cylinder Sethos used as a container before. And then we run away like hell.

Everything seems so impossible I thought it was just a dream. The Mogadorians and other things like huge machines bounced off the force field. We're unstoppable. There is an angry growl from behind us and I look past John's broad shoulder. I see Setrákus charging like a bull at us, a golden can with a black, glowing eye raised. The force field around us is big enough to contain the four of us, even with Sam and Malcolm lagging behind us a few paces. "We're almost there," John mutters under his breath. I can feel my power returning. I can move without a lot of effort and I can see and intercept things better. There is a blast, and we stumble forward. The force field blinks, like a malfunctioning TV, and then becomes stable again. John stands and picks me up again, but this time I don't let him. I hoist Malcolm over my shoulders and my knees buckle at the weight a bit. I guess my strength hasn't returned fully yet. John follows my example and we run at Loric speed towards the mouth of the cave.

I've never been so alive my entire life. John stumbles a couple of times because Setrákus kept firing at us with Sethos not far behind. The protective bubble keeps flickering, and I urge John to move faster. I can feel my Legacies returning. Soon, I can make the cave shake on my will, resulting in fall rocks and boulders from the inside. But it had no effect on Setrákus. With a casual flick of his cane, he deflects the rocks falling from the cave roof. John and I put on a burst of speed and we run ahead of the Mogadorians, until we reach the cave entrance. We hop over the decaying carcass of animals until finally we made it out. John sets Sam down and walks him over to Marina to heal his cuts. Same goes with Malcolm. I, however, walk to the cave. I raise my hands and use all my power to bring the cave down. The earth starts to shake violently. More rocks fall from inside the cave. A guttural cry echoes from within, and I see Setrákus, his cane waving madly. Beads of sweat run down my cheek, and I tense slightly when one of them passes my gash. Half the cave is barely seen from the falling rocks. I put on my last amount of energy and bring down the cave, but before that happens, Setrákus' cane emits a bluish ball of energy, straight at me. Shit. John's premonition.

"Six! Get out of the way!" I hear someone yell, but I remain frozen. I see everything in slowly motion. The ball of energy closes our distance easily, and I do the only thing I came up with.

"Sam! The stone, toss it here!" I yell. Sam obeys my order, and I catch the cylinder. _I hope this works, _I think to myself. I wait for the ball of death to come nearer, closing our distance by an inch, and right before I'm sure the impact of it with my heart will kill me, I open the cylinder in front of my heart. I feel weak for a second before everything turns black. I'm thrown backward, and my head hits something that makes me see stars. I hear a loud explosion similar to nuclear ones, but louder. It makes my ears ring, and over the noise I hear a loud roar. After all the light disappears, there's nothing but a shower of ashes and occasional sparks from little particles I can't see. I hear a shift of gravel from somewhere to my right. "Six?" John says, looming over me. I remain still. The pain in the back of my head is slowly subsiding. "Six!" John yells, shaking me frantically. I blink, and the stars disappear. Coughing slightly from the ash fall, I sit up and find myself in a bone crushing hug. "You're alive. I thought I lost you," John whispers in my ear. He helps me stand up and Crayton says, "Come on. That won't hold him for long. We have to move into the open clearing. We can't fight him here."

Just as he said it, the rocks on where the cave once stood began to shake.


	25. Chapter 25: John

**Chapter Twenty-Five**

**John**

"Six! Get out of the way!" I yell at her frozen figure. I'm seeing double. In my mind's eye, I'm replaying the premonition about her in this very moment while in reality I'm watching it from Meredith's force field. I can't move myself. My legs feel like jelly. I can't stand. I can't go over to her and push her out of the way. My chest aches at the sight of this. But Six does something risky, something untold in my dream. "Sam, the stone, toss it here!" she yells, and Sam throws the cylinder at Six. She catches it and waits. The death ball is coming closer and closer. I can't watch this happen, but I have to. Just before the ball of flame collides with her fragile body, she opens the cylinder, revealing the same stone Sethos used on us at the motel. Instead of her, the ball of energy hits the rock, and everything is absorbed by a bright light. Past the light, I can just make out a tiny figure being thrown backward by the impact. A shower of ashes and sparks fill the air. The impact of the collision made the cave crash down into a heap of large boulders, hopefully burying the last of those bastards. I wait for the light to disappear before I run out of Meredith's force field. I run over to Six, who is lying flat on her back with a blank look in her eyes. I trip over a rock and scrape my chin on my way to her. When I reach her, I pull her close to me, like the way I did when Henri was dying. "Six?" I say, shaking her softly. She doesn't move. Six is still staring into the open space blankly, her blue eyes reflecting the light from the sky above. "Six!" I say louder, now shaking her shoulders violently.

Six blinks hard, and just before she opens her mouth to speak, I pull her into a tight embrace. I did it. I saved her. I feel more complete than ever. "You're alive. I thought I lost you," I whisper in her ear. I help her stand up, and Crayton says, "Come on. That won't hold him for long. We have to move into the open clearing. We can't fight him here." He is right. That is part of our plan originally. Crayton said that with his cane, Setrákus is indestructible. Soon enough, the rocks on where the cave was standing moments before begin to shake. That's when we take off into the woods.

Nine carries both Sam and Malcolm, who look like they're on the verge of vomiting. Their faces are a sickly shade of green. Six and I run hand-in-hand as we follow the others to the clearing Crayton was talking about. In the distance, I can hear the footfalls of the remaining Mogadorians. Somewhere in our destination, I can hear the Chimæras growing. Six slows the enemy down by leaving a trail of huge tree trunks in our wake. We run and run until we reach the clearing, which is beside a lake, greatly resembling the scenery where I almost got caught. Meredith and Ella stash our things in a nook inside a tree. Crayton fills us up with every weapon he has, especially to Sam, Malcolm, Rebecca and Ella. The rest of us Garde open our Chests and take out whatever weapon that can be used—for Nine, his spear and some assorted gems; for Meredith, a spear that looks like two knives wedged together by the hilts; for Marina, poison in which she dipped her arrowheads in; for Cole, a sword that resembles a gladius and few gems; for Six, her most wicked knives, the ones that split into two at her touch, and, as usual, my dagger. "Remember; there's probably still a few thousand Mogs that were saved by Setrákus' power. Six, don't use your Legacies until we know that we're losing. You have to save your energy," Crayton says, "Be ready for them."

I slip my dagger in the waistband of my jeans because, unlike Six, I don't have a matching sheath for it. The Chimæras grow to the size of eighteen-wheelers with thick, oblong scales protecting their already-thick skin. They, particularly Bernie Kosar, Elizabeth, Linda and Jake, have two feet-long teeth dripping with drool. The three babies are also big, but unlike their parents, they're teeth are only a few inches long. It's their claws that are sharp, resembling curved knives. We wait for them, our bodies poised to attack. Before the war starts, I cup Six's face in my hands and give her a long and lingering kiss, hoping that this will not be our last one. I pull away but let our foreheads remain in contact. "I love you," she says, tracing my jaw line with her fingers. I kiss her forehead and say, "I love you too." And then I see them.

They stop at the other edge of the clearing, tense. Crayton's right; there are more than a thousand Mogadorians, along with five large pikens with big teeth uncontainable in their mouths and a handful of krauls. We stare at each other's eyes. The line between us is very thin. I eye Sethos and whisper, "Sethos is mine."

"I'll take on Setrákus," Six says, and laces her fingers with mine. At that moment, we lunged for each other.

The battle is unlike the one I had in Ohio. This is more brutal, deadlier. The Chimæras clashed with the pikens and the krauls, their roars shaking the entire planet. Setrákus yells a battle cry in Mogadorian and charges, bringing forth his army. At Six's lead, we charge too. The wails of agony from the beasts make my ears ring. We clash, swords swinging, cannons firing. I pull my dagger from the waistband of my jeans and slice the Mogadorians that come in my way. They explode to ashes and dirt that covers my face. Adrenaline is coursing through my entire being. I can see everything; from the tiniest spectacle of dust to the mess of Six's curly hair in the middle of the clearing fighting with Setrákus. Sethos fires his gun everywhere randomly, seldom hitting his own comrades. Cole flies above and manages to convince at least a dozen Mogadorians to fight against their own kind using his Convinco power. Ella sticks by Crayton's side, firing and occasionally chucking a boulder at one of the Mogadorians using her quick-developing telekinesis. Marina and Meredith are fighting side by side, with Marina in her protective barrier while she fights outside it. Rebecca gets overpowered by a sheer number of krauls, but luckily Nine is there to help her. Six nearly gets hit by Setrákus, but she jumped lightly on the balls of her feet before Setrákus swings his cane. I finally reach Sethos, and I lunge for his unguarded back, my dagger held high. He turns just before my dagger pierces his back. My dagger collides with his cannon, and with the amount of force he exerted while he turned plus the molecular density of my dagger, the cannon snaps in half. I get over my surprise and jab at him, but even without his cannon, he's still wearing some thick armor. Damn it. If only I can weaken him…

As soon as the idea snaps into my head, I explode in flames, making Sethos take a cautious step back. The dagger in my hand reflects the flames on my body. I step forward, confidently swinging my dagger and occasionally throwing balls of flames everywhere. A look of worry and fear streaks across Sethos' face, and I push him harder. I swing my dagger left and right, until my arm brushed his. He wails, trying to put out the fire now spreading on his arm, but with no such luck. He sinks to his knees, crying "Father! Father, help me!" out loud. I can feel the flames on my body increases in heat in anger. He managed to destroy an innocent planet without help for his father. He doesn't deserve any help. He deserves to die. And to die he shall.

I loom over him, making my power known to him. He is but a bug under my feet. I kick him on the shoulder so that I can make a clean cut on his neck. He lies flat on his back, convulsing as his arm dissolves to ash. I hold my dagger high, and let it fall. I behead him as easily as a child can break a toothpick. I didn't even break a sweat. Sethos' body explodes to ash, and seconds before his head dissolves, he says, "We will kill you all." With that he disappears. My purpose is done here. I've done what I came for, now I'm going to kill every single damn Mog in this place. For Henri. For Nick. For everyone.

My senses pick up a charging Mog behind me, but I was ready, more ready than I ever was before. I turn and pierce the Mogadorian's body with my dagger, and hold my breath when he explodes. I kill everyone in sight until I see Six take a hit to the gut, sending her on the ash-coated floor. Setrákus raises his cane, and even from here I can see the wicked black eye of the cane pulse.

Without hesitating I rush to where they stand.


	26. Chapter 26: Six

**Chapter Twenty-Six**

**Six**

Setrákus is pretty damn hard to beat. I can't find an opening, and it's as if he knows my every move. It's like he can read my mind. I send a jab down his thigh, which he blocks with his cane. He raises it with force, throwing me off-balance a little. He sweeps his cane from under me, and at the last minute I jump to avoid getting hit. "My, my—Pittacus, if you're seeing this, I cannot believe this is your descendant! Such a weak, puny, little girl," Setrákus exclaims, making my insides boil with rage. Even in my short time on Lorien, no one messes with the Elders, let alone their names, unless they want to be buried in Lorien's core. Grams used to scold whenever I make fun of their statues back on Lorien. Resulting in my anger, I successfully manage to punch him in the face. I hear a bone crack, and blood gushes out of Setrákus' now crooked nose. He wipes his nose with the back of his hands, and takes a hit. I block whenever I can, but most of the time it's my dagger that takes his blows. I manage to cut him a few times, a new line of sweat forming on my forehead. Finally, Setrákus gets what he wants.

He strikes a forceful punch, aimed at my chest, throwing me backward. I sit down hard, the air crushed out of my lungs. I'm seeing stars again, but less this time. I sit up, but I barely had time to prop myself up on my elbows before I find a pulsing black eye staring right at me. I shift my gaze from the eye to Setrákus. "From here, I give you two choices; be with us, or against us."

"I'll rather die than fight alongside you, you son of a bitch!" I yell at him. The blue things in my eyes reappear, something they haven't done in a long time. Fear flashes across Setrákus' face for a brief second before something ablaze charged him, clashing against his torso. John the Human Torch tackles Setrákus. Few wails of agony escape his lips as John's white-hot skin creates blisters on his ashen skin. But while John is straddling him, his fingers grope for his cane, which John didn't take notice of. "John, look out!" I yell, warding off two Mogadorians at a time, who attacked me the minute I got up from the ground. But he didn't get out of the way on time. With a swing of the cane, John gets knocked aside, and my anger swells up to boiling point. My vision slightly blurs from the blue hue in my eyes. I swing my knives in a circular motion, reducing the two Mogadorians to ashes. The sky above turns into a great dome of black swirling clouds. I stretch my arms in a spread-eagle gesture, eyes directed to the sky. Lightning strikes, thunder booms. It gets Setrákus' attention, who was about to pound John into a pulp with his cane. John is in his normal mode, thunderstruck at the storm I created.

"Finally—now you show the Elder in you!" Setrákus exclaims some more, raising his cane again. He strikes, the same bluish energy ball coming out of the eye of his cane. "Six!" John yells from the ground, and attempts to slow the energy ball down with telekinesis with no such luck. Lightning strikes in front of the blast of flames and diverts the energy, returning it back to its source. Setrákus ducks at the last second and the ball of blue flames hit the soldiers behind him, creating a loud explosion and a cloud of dirt. I feel my feet leave the ground. The swirling mass of clouds now forms a vortex, the tip dancing on my fingertips. The once calm lake parallel to the dust-coated clearing now surges with waves. I'm levitating about fifteen feet up in the air, leaving the earth shake violently as I went higher. I don't particularly understand it, but suddenly my surroundings reflect the blue color in my vision. More lightning strike, diverting more of the blasts of energy from Setrákus' cane.

I feel invincible, more invincible this way. I can feel the power coursing through my veins, up to the very tips of my being. I lower my hands, and the tornado of my creation sinks to the ground, destroying everything in its wake. Past the commotion, I see John run to Meredith's force field for cover. Tongues of fire erupt from the ground under me, growing to twenty feet, and then twenty-five, completely enveloping me. My powerful side has full control of my brain now. More thunder boom, but the sound of the howling wind has died. The bright orange flames begin to swirl around me in clockwise motion, pretty much like the tornado a few minutes ago, but with fire. I raise my arms again, this time directed to the sky. The faster the flames spun, the hotter they got, since I can feel the heat on my skin. But I didn't disintegrate, and I'm grateful for that.

When I feel that the time is right, that the flames are at their hottest boiling point, I flex my arms, and the flames radiate outward, like an electromagnetic pulse. The center of the radiation is me, and in the sea of bright orange I can make out the vague shape of a dome, meaning Meredith's force field and something else, something enveloped in black, about a few meters from the Loric force field, where Setrákus was standing before. The flames die, and I sink back to the burnt ground. The dust littered the place, making my nose itchy. "Six?" someone yells in the distance, but I don't answer; I don't want ashy Mogadorian guts in my mouth. The layer of dirt in the air is unimaginable; you can't even see the space in front of you. Just a murky grayish brown haze. I summon some wind from nowhere and the ashes steer clear of the real aftermath of the battle. Burnt pieces of machinery and rubble are everywhere. The others are okay, safely tucked away in Meredith's force field a few meters ahead. I pivot to my right, where I saw the black thing from above. It is an orb about twenty-five feet tall, more or less. "Six!" John yells, but I don't move. I have a bad feeling that this war isn't over yet.

The black orb splits in half, wide enough for Setrákus' half burnt body and golden cane to be seen. "You made the wrong choice!" he yells, and the last ball of energy erupts out of the eye. After the blast of energy is released, Setrákus gets enveloped in his black orb, and it disappears, leaving the ball of death directed towards me.

Death is coming; I can feel it. My knees feel like that of a wooden puppet, stiff and cannot move with strings. After the adrenaline in my body passed, I'm left with exhaustion from the war. And so I should accept death, freely. But I can't leave just yet. I haven't said good-bye yet. I can't leave. I have to stay. The death ball is closing on me and a mere foot before it kills me, I feel something push me aside, and everything becomes bright white that I had to close my eyes. The death ball hit something—or someone. The impact made radiation that sent me back on my knees. The light dims, and slowly fades away. I look behind me and my heart stops. A wide range from where I used to stand is a body of a boy with wavy blonde hair, unconscious on a heap of rubble.

"No, no, no, no…" I whisper to myself, hyperventilating. It can't be. I stand up, and pain shoots up my left ankle. I must've broken it when John pushed me out of the way and took my place as the target.

Ignoring the pain, I run as fast as my wobbly legs can carry me to the body of the man I love. I sink to my knees, my breathing heavy, my vision blurry from the upcoming tears, beside John's unmoving body. His eyes are closed, and his chest—it isn't moving. I pull his head on my lap, placing two fingers under his jaw, where his pulse should be. I can't feel anything. I try on his wrist, and still, nothing. I press my ear to his heart, and yet again I hear nothing. "John?" I whisper, shaking him. He doesn't respond. "John! Wake up! Come on, John, wake up!" I yell, tears streaming down my cheeks. He can't be dead. He can't leave me. "Marina! Help me! Anyone, please help me!" I yell even louder, shaking John's body. The sobs make me create choking noises. Before I know it I can't breathe. I can't think. I didn't even hear the others approach us. "Marina, heal him, please," I beg her, clutching John tightly, thinking that he can't go if I hold on. The sobs from behind me confirm everything. I yell despite the irritation of my dry throat, pounding John's chest as if it would bring him back to life. I shake him some more, but his head just kept lulling back and forth. I cry against his chest, my fingers finding his lifeless ones, remembering the warmth they used to have. Why did he have to go? Why did he leave me? It should be me. I can't exist in a world without John. I press my body against John's, not wanting to let go. "Six, he's dead." Crayton says, putting a heavy hand on my shoulder. "No! He promised me he wouldn't leave me!" I yell, but I didn't turn around. I rest my head on John's chest as I cry a river, weeping for what seems like forever. When I finally managed to stop crying, which was about ten minutes later, I heard the only thing I want to hear: the sound of a familiar but weak heartbeat.


	27. Chapter 27: Six

**Chapter Twenty-Seven**

**Six**

"He isn't dead," I declare, pressing my ear against his chest. There's no mistaking it. A subtle heartbeat has filled John's chest, which was silent mere minutes ago. Sam walks forth and puts his fingers under John's jaw. His eyes widen and say, "I can feel a pulse."

"That settles it. We have to keep moving. FBI can be here soon, or worse; Mogs remaining in base camps," I say. I wipe the tears away and stand up, raising John with telekinesis as I do. I look at my fellow Garde, and notice someone is missing. "Where's Rebecca?" I ask. Meredith's face fell and she starts sobbing against Nine's chest. I understand. We've lost another. "Where is she?" I ask. Cole points to the body behind him. I walk over to Rebecca's body and take in her form. Dried blood blemished the skin under her nose and her hair, which came from her ears. She must've had internal hemorrhage. "What do you want to do?" Crayton asks her.

"I want to cremate her," she says clearly, peeking at me from Nine's chest. Instinctively, Marina rushes to the nook in where we stashed our luggage. She returns a full second later, arms full of bags. She rummages in hers and takes out a cylinder, smoothly carved from wood with a metallic latch that closes the lid. "Adelina gave me this about six years ago," she says, and passes it to Meredith. She shoots a questioning look at Marina, whose eyes are full of concern. "I'm ready," Meredith says. I gently set John on the ground and wait for them to give me the signal. We pay our last respects, and with our last good-bye, I set Rebecca's body on fire. This goes on for about two hours before Meredith scoops up Rebecca's ashes and puts them in Marina's cylinder. After that, we set out into the forest once more.

* * *

I'm not going to elaborate what brought us here. After searching, we find a nice abandoned house in the outskirts of a town in the area. It has two floors, and painted a dull white with cracks and ivy on the left wing. This house looks brand new, with seldom wallpaper peeling. It might have been about three months since people lived here. We settle in. There are enough rooms for all of us. Three rooms upstairs and a guest room below. On the ground floor, the very same set-up: living room on the left, dining room further down the corridor on the right, guest room in the end to the right and a restroom parallel to the guest room. I settle John in the farthest room from the stairs. I float him gently on the bed, which creaks under his weight. I press my ear against his chest again. There's still a heartbeat, louder this time but still weak. I walk outside and summon our bags. I search for any kind of usable cloth in my bag and cross the hall into the restroom. I wet the cloth and return into our room. With the wet cloth, I clean John up, starting with his face. Once I'm done, I rip his tattered shirt apart and run the cloth against his chest. Well, I had to ask help from Cole and Sam to clean the rest of him. I wait patiently outside the door, leaning against the wall. Sam calls me about ten minutes later. I walk back inside and pick out a nice set of clothes, heading for the bathroom once more.

After finishing my bath, I enter our room and position a chair beside the bed. I grasp John's hand and press it against my face. The color in his face slowly returns. I like looking at him while he's asleep. He looks cute. I brush strands of long hair out of his face. John really needs a haircut. I remember the first time I gave him one. Sam enters the room and asks, "Marina's cooking downstairs. Want some?"

"No," I say, not turning around. Well, I just don't want to leave John alone. I want to be the first person he sees when he wakes up. I ignore the grumbling in my stomach just for the sake of not leaving him. Sam closes the door and sits at the foot of the bed near John's feet. He looks concerned; not a trace of jealousy on his face. "Aren't you mad?" I ask, releasing my grip on John's hand, letting it fall back on the mattress.

Sam raises an eyebrow and says, "Do you mean mad as in insane or mad as in angry?"

"Mad as in angry," I say.

"Why would I be angry?" Sam asks. I sigh. I expected him to angry. I expected him to walk away and be quiet around me. I expected Sam to feel brokenhearted. "Well, I chose John over you, that's a start. I think I'm just waiting for you to explode and shout angry words at me," I explain.

If possible, Sam's eyebrows went up higher. "I know from the start that there's no way you'd take interest in me. I understand. Besides, we can still be friends."

"Correction: best friends. You, me and the others," I say. Sam smiles and gives me a gentle pat on the shoulder before he leaves. I hold John's hand back in both of mine. His pulse is significantly louder; he should be awake in a few hours. My eyelids start dropping, and before I know it, my head is resting on my arms, eyes shut tight in exhaustion.

I wake up several hours later when fingers lace through mine. I lift my head up just to see John's fingers interlocked with mine. I sit up, ignoring the urge to sleep again. "John?" I ask. His head turns slowly, his eyelids parting. "Hello beautiful," he whispers with a smile. Despite him being physically weak, I smack him on the arm. He winces, and then scoots farther from me, gesturing for me to join him on the bed. I let go of his hand temporarily, just to lie down beside him. We stay like that for a few minutes before I start to cry. "What's wrong?" John asks, his voice still in a whisper. Thickheaded as always.

I hop up from the bed and say, "What do you mean 'what's wrong'? I just saw you die in front of my eyes! And I really thought you died! I thought you left me! And all you ask is 'what's wrong'?" John opens his mouth and closes it again like a fish out of water. He sighs and struggles to sit up. He manages to swing his legs off the edge of the bed, and makes it halfway to standing up before I wipe the tears away and say, "Don't. You're still weak. You have to rest."

He gives up and I lie down beside him again. John puts his fingers under my chin and whispers against my lips, "I will never leave you. I love you, and I would die for you, if it means that you'll be safe. I'm prepared to risk everything for you. And I'll never stop loving you, ever." After the last words, he seals my lips with a kiss, soft and lingering. The simple kiss turns into a heated one. I notice John struggle to pull himself over me, so I pull away. "You should be resting," I say, pushing John back on his back as gently as I can. He sighs and closes his eyes. Before I go to sleep with him, I whisper, "I love you," in his ear. John gives me a kiss on the forehead and says, "I love you," before he dozes off. I allow myself to do the same, safely tucked in the love of my life's arms.

* * *

After about a week, John's already up and running. I take him jogging on mornings to get him build-up on his strength. Every day I take him farther and farther, and he keeps up with me more. That's an improvement. Crayton explains that since they're humans, Sam and Malcolm need about a few more weeks before we can travel again. In that time three more Chimæras are found by the use of John's phone. Too bad that phone didn't show where our ship is. That's one of the questions I'm very eager to ask Malcolm once he's ready.

To be honest, the entire week has been fairly about celebrating our first victory together. Cole "bought" us some drinks along with an SUV and a van big enough to contain the Chimæras and few of us. We've been enjoying, since the very first ray of sunlight slices through the morning sky until the moon disappears into the night. Ella's seriously having fun with the Chimæras. Recently, she has developed another Legacy. One night I wake up in the middle of the night seeing Ella in our room, and another in the bathroom, and another down the hallway. Ella can multiply herself, and if anything happens to her decoys they fade into shimmering mist. I have to say I'm impressed by this Legacy.

Right now, Meredith and Nine are singing a terrible version of "Payphone" by Maroon 5 in the backyard. Cole is looking at the stars from Marina's lap while she gently strokes his hair. Meanwhile Sam's having fun chasing five, two-year-old Ella's, who were running everywhere. Crayton and Malcolm are deep in conversation, and just out of respect again, I avoid eavesdropping on them. John and I are seated under an apple tree in the backyard, ignoring the horrible singing from Nine and Meredith, locked away in our own world. I sit in between his legs and rest my back against his chest while he brushes the side of my face with his lips. John stops and place his fingers under my chin, pushing my face upward to meet his lips. I pull away, remembering he's still not fully recovered, but let my forehead touch his. I gaze into his bright, blue eyes and whisper the words I will say only to him, "I love you." John smiles widely, and whispers something in my ear. I laugh and smack him in the arm playfully, muttering, "Pervert," under my breath. I stand up and run with inhuman speed, dodging the running Ella's, to our room. John comes in a few minutes later and pushes me against the wall, my lips glued to his. Well, I guess you know what happened next.

This is Maren Elizabeth, widely known to the world as the female terrorist alongside Sam Goode and John Smith, but much more identified as Number Six of the Lorien Garde. I am telling the story of Lorien somewhere here on Earth. I have found my fellow Garde, and even fell hard for one of them. We are on a quest to find the Chimæra and the ship to take us home, back on Lorien. Together, we are much more powerful. But still, we are hiding. From the FBI. From them. As of now, we don't know what their plans are. They caught Number One in Malaysia. They caught Number Two in England. They caught Number Three in Kenya. They tried to kill John Smith, Number Four, but failed. They nearly caught me in New York and Spain—but I escaped, with Number Seven and Number Ten. I am Number Six. Be warned. The battle ground for our war is now here on Earth. We barely escaped in West Virginia. What happened there is only the beginning. The worst is yet to come. But now we're living freely, so to speak. And who knows what dangers we will face, but I know that I won't have to face them alone.

They came here to finish us off one by one. But they have to fight us first.


	28. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

**First off, I want to thank my mother, again, for the never-ending support she gave me.**

**Second, to JustAllie, anon/Anon, iamnumberfourlove, 9, Allie, Ally411, Jullianna, Cinnibin18, gracee, EiGhT, Cynthia911, KathyLove1, BowandArrows, Muggleborn Demigod, I am Lord Cronus, Katie, Aud, sinnercharly, nihonto11, ThePowerofTen, tristan, Olive six, Paige, camelle, th3craft3r and Kat, who are kind enough to place their names on their reviews. I appreciate it.**

**Third, to all the reviews that don't have names. I don't give thanks unequally to reviews. You guys and the people who have signed reviews on my story deserve equal praise. Because with you, this story would not have been a success.**

**I'm planning on the sequel already, and watch out for it. No specific title yet. Feel free to PM me for suggestions. Sorry if I misspelled your names. Anyways, thanks you guys, for supporting my story until the very end. This is my very first successful story and I thank you for that. I can never thank you guys enough. Just, continue reading, that's fine with me. Maren6Elizabeth—signing out. For now.**


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